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v_,. r 



DOM OF MIND 



MA BEGINNING IN A LIBRARY 



BY 



FRANKLIN P. NORTON 

Author of Six Dramas of American Romance 
and History 



THE SliCRIiT.lRV OP STATF. 
FINANCIER OF NEW YORK 
ABRAHAM LINCOLN. OR THE REBELLION 
OrOMIS, THE INDIAN OF MENICO 
THE THIRD TERM 
KING OF WALL STREET 
and of 
MACHIAVELLI 
THE LADY OF THE SWAMP 
WHOSE WIFE? 



For information regarding ihcw plays, laws, etc., address 

THE SCHULTE PRESS 

80-82 Fourth Avenue 

New York, N. Y. 



P5 3 5^7 



Copyright, 1918 by 
Franklin P. Norton 
author 



0;G!.O 5n40:i 



SEP i6i3J3 



KINGDOM OF MIND 



A DRAMA BEGINNING IN A LIBRARY 



DRAMATIS PERSONAE. 



W'lLLiAM Marlowe, a Playwright. 
Chester Taft, a Librarian. 
David Boniface, a Theatre Owner. 
James Wallace, ) 
Lucy Morton, I 



Lovers zvho are 
too intellectual. 



Roger Sherman, 
Clara Boniface, 
Edward Clyde, 
Ada Barton, 



I Lovers who are 

( too heart-y. 

Lovers and friends 
of the others. 



Edna and Josephine Cummins, young Grand- 
nieces to Marlowe, and heiresses of his posthu- 
mous fortune. 

Mrs. Morton, a Widow, (Keeper of a Rooming 
House). 

JosiAH Hardart, Uncle and Guardian to the 
Heiresses. 

Public Administrator. 

A Doctor. 

The Characters in the Miniature-theatre scene, as 
follows: Those who "try-out" for places in the 
stock or road companies, consisting- of, Leading 
Ladly, 2 Song and Dance Comedians, Prima- 



donna, Star, and Soloist and Chorus ; Members 
of the stock-company who sit as critical Specta- 
tors of the try-outs, also a '"(ioody-goody" 
among them ; Right-hand man ; and Stage- man- 
ager. 

The Characters (historically renowned), appear- 
ing in tlie "Pinnacle of Fame" scene. History re- 
cords them as having mounted to the very pin- 
nacle of fame : into niches to be held forever. 
Also the Spectators who view the pinnacle ; 
symbolizing the multitude of enthusiastic ad- 
mirers, and devoted followers, of these famous 
men. 

The Characters (photographic), in the "Dream 
scene" shown by moving-pictures : these are 
King Thought ; 19 male and female Spirits 
(good) ; 19 male and female Spirits (evil) ; 
Echoes of thought (good). Echoes of thought 
(evil), both represented by boys and girls; A 
C'on-^munity (good), A Community (evil) ; 
Angels: Travellers: Bugler; Guards; Bolshe- 
viki mob ; Sexton and Visitors in graveyard ; and 
Attendants. 

The Persons of both sexes and various ages 
present in the Library scene. 

Scene — Nen' York Cit\, N. Y. 



ACT I 



Scene 1. — The Front of a Public Library in the 
City of Neiv York. Merely a curtain repre- 
sentation, ivith an opening in the center for an 
entrance. Some persons go in and some come 
out, either '<cith or without books. 
Enter James and Roger, right. 

Roger. 
What can one do to spend his idle time, James? 

James. 
Why Roger, do as many of us youths have done ; 
Become a habitue of the Public Library here! 
Come, join me ; I am going in now. 

Roger. 

What,— 
And soon relapse into a bookworm! One of 
Those lazy fellows, who sit daily for hours 
Poring their eyes out over books : and all 
For nothing. 



James. 
Readers, need not strain eyes, 
Nor overtax brains, necessarily a bit more 
Than people in other avocations would abuse 
Their faculties : and it is never labor lost ; 
For patient, persistent and tireless toil. 
In this and other fields of human endeavor, 
Is sure to bring rich rewards. 



Roger. 

Ever come to bookworms ? 
James. 

Into the Kingdom of Mind ! 
Roger 

Saw such a kingdom ! 



What rewards, 



They are initiated. 



Pshaw, who ever 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



James. 
True, it is invisible. 
It is not at all like a Princely kingdom; 
Stretching its imperial glories out before 
The observer's eyes: Each subject has it 
In his mind's eye; and can give expression 
To its vastncss. its unsearchable riches, 
( Inly by rai>turous looks, instructive speech. 
And skillfully constructive action ! 

Roger. 

Pooh, 
Action indeed! I have seen the poet's eye, 
In a fine frenzy rolling: That's rapture. 
1 have heard lots of pedants, discourse 
Upon theories: That's instructive speech. 
But as to .skillfully constructive action : 
Not one of the lazy brood that ponder 
C>\er musty volumes, has done any work 
Worthy of such an appellation. 

James. 

\Vh>' Roger, 
The great books that compose our libraries, 
Were mostly written by bookworms. 

Roger. 

Bosh, books ! 
Excepting those we have to learn in school. 
What good are they? 

James. 
They are the chief way. 
In which to cultivate the mind. 

Roger. 

And what then ? 

James. 
Cultivated minds grow harvests of thought ; 
Just the same as cultivated fields grow 
"Harvests of wheat. The visionary thinkers, 
Foresee what things may and ought be done ; 
And the practical thinkers, find out ways 
To do them. And the visions of to-day, 
Become the common practices of to-morrow. 
Oh, we owe mych to these Kings of Thought : 
Who got their thrones by the aid of books ! 

Roger. 
Bookworms are Livingstones and Stanleys, then? 
They explore the kingdom ; write it in books ; 
And those that read them become its settlers? 

James. 
Yes : — and to these settlers in mind's kingdom, 
Are we chiefly indebted for the good thiiigs 
In the kingdom of matter ; the visible world. 

I Roger. 

Well you can take the books : but as for me, 

I will take the sports, every time. 

James. 

Bad choice ! 
Come, go in and look the library over. 
While I am changing my book for another ; 
Then we will leave. 



Roger. 

To please you Pll do so. 

(E.veunt into library) 
Enter Li-'cv and Ci-aka, inrctini/. 

Clara. 
Ah, the Public Library is open yet. 

Lucy. 

It lacks 
Ten minutes of the closing. 

Clara. 
' Let's be friends! 

Don't hurry inside where we can't conver.se. 

Lucv. 
My name is Lucy Morton : my widow mother 
Keeps a furnished room house. 

Clara. 

And my name 
Is Clara Boniface: I am the sole child 
Of David Boniface; owner and manager 
Of the theatre that bears his own name. 

Lucy. 
Ah, Boniface's Theatre ! 

Clara. 

Pray tell me Lucy, 
Have you got a beau? 

Lucv. 
Well. I fondly hope so ! 

Clara. 
Tell me of him. 

Lucy. 
One James Wallace, a clerk. 
He aspires to be something ; and by the aid 
Of the many choice books jn this library. 
Has highly cultivated his mind. 

Clara. 

Smart eh? 
Well, my beau, Roger Sherman, also a clerk, 
Would not bother his fair head over books : 
He loves to dress natty, and is very fond 
Of all kinds of sport. 

Lucy. 

Such things are apt 
To lead to nothing : not so with books. 

Clara. 

True. 
Why, were Roger qualified, he could hold 
A fine place in the theatre, as assistant 
To the reader, who reads all the new plays 
Offered by the playwrights. 

Lucy. 

You don't say so. 

Clara. 

Ah, I have it ! just the place for your beau. 
Do you think he would like it ? 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



Lucy. 

Yes, indeed ! 

Clara. 
Well I will speak to father. 

Lucy. 

Many thanks ! 

Clara. 
And call, Lucy, and let you know the result. 

Lucy. 
Here is my card, Clara. 

Clara. 

And here is mine. 

LrcY. 
What book have you got? 

Clara. 

The latest love-stor>-. 
Lucy. 
Was it very interesting? 

Clara. 

Perfectly entrancing! 
Lucy. 
What will you get next? 

Clara. 

.•\nothcr love-story. 

Lucy. 
You must read the hetter class of hooks too: 
They enrich the mind, while the trashy ones 
Only spoil it. 

Clara. 
I could never get interested. 
In any other reading. 



You might by trying. 



\'ery well. 



Lucy. 

But you cannot tell, 

Clara. 
Suppose we go in now? 

Lucy. 

( Exeunt into fibrar\^ 



Scene II. — Tlir Interior of Public Library. An 
arched entrance at rear: a counter runs alonii 
right wall at front, behind ivhich are an aged 
male Librarian and a young female Assistant: 
elsewhere the walls half way up are covered witit 
book-filled shelves; and above the shelves arc 
busts of the preeminent Thinkers, in all the lines 
of Thought. There are numerous tables scat- 
tered around. 

Some newcomers occasionally enter, (t:rl there are 
numerous Persons present of both .ic.ves ini:t 
various years from youth to age, some of ti'/zo;/; 
arc sittini^ at the tables reading, ami others are 



selecting books from the shelves and one by one 
are going to the counter to have them recorded, 
after which they exeunt. Slwrtly after scene be- 
gins Assistant librarian goes to two sitters at a 
table zvho arc talking audibly and says,"No talk- 
ing please, it interferes with other readers." The 
scene having continued a few minutes longer, 
the Librarian rings a bell, and says: "It is now 
the time for closing." Exeunt all persons, ex- 
cept James. Roger and Marlowe — and Lucy 
and Clara: the three former rise from a table 
and meet at centre the tzvo latter just returning 
from having boohs recorded at counter. 

Clara. 
What, Roger! — How came you to visit the library? 

Roger. 
I just picked ac(|u;nntance with this young man ; 
And walked with him here, when he coaxed me in. 

Clara. 
And Lucy here and I just met on the wav in : 
And have formed I hope a lasting friendship! 
Miss Lucy Morton, this is Mr. Roger Sherman: 
Of whom I spoke outside. (They bozv) 

Lucy. 

Miss Clara Boniface, this is Mr. James Wallace: 
Of whom I spoke outside. (Thev bow) 

Clara. 

You don't say so ! 
Why it seems just like fate, that you and I 
Should meet, and our friends .should meet, 
And thus bring all of us together here. 

Marlowe. ( advancing) 
Be that guess right, your future intercourse 
May prove interesting; for most marvelously 
Doth fate unravel its designs. 

James. 

Yes indeed I — 
Miss Boniface, this is Mr. W'illiam Marlowe: 
Lucy's friend and mine : and for a year past 
A roomer at her mother's house. ( Thex bow) 

LiBRARL\N. (approaching) 
How are you Miss Lucy— and James— and Marlowe ! 
(Lucy. James and AL'XRLowe return greeting) 

jA>rES. 

Mr. librarian Taft, this is Mr. Rotrer Sherman — 
;\nd this. Miss Clara Boniface. (They bo7v) 

Lucy. 
Bv the way. Miss Boniface is the daughter of 
The owner of Boniface's Theatre. 

Everybody (but Roger). 

Ah, is she ! 

Librarlvn. (to CrARA) 
T knew you, as licini^ a member of the library 
For some months. 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



Claka. 
Only by sight^I understand. 

LlBR.\RIAN. 

I say Marlowe, how about your latest play? 

Marlowe. 
I have just sent it to Boniface's theatre. 

Librarian. 
But they accepted tione of your other plays 
That you sent them from time to time. 

Marlowe. 

Not one. 
But I am not discouraged : the old adage says. 
"If at first you don't succeed, try try again." 

LlBRAKL\N. 

1 am deeply interested in ycur success. 
Because you have long been a habitue here. 

Marlowe. 
All, I owe all to this library ! Ten years ago, 
With a limited education, but considerable 
Experience of life, I began reading here. 
.After a few days T chanced upon a classic, 
And became so enthused over it, that I 
Eagerly devoured piecemeal all the best 
Of your literature. .After a year or two, 
My mind got so full of the sublime things, 
I had read, that it fairly bubbled over 
Like a swollen brook ! 

Librarian. 

Then you wrote a ]ilay. 

Marlowe. 
Yes, — if it deserves that name : for being 
My first attempt, it was of course rotten. 
But I flatter myself that, my next eflfort 
Shows marked improvement, and my last ones 
Are almost masterpieces of dramatic art. 

Librarian. 
They certainly are ! 

Lucy. 

Oh they are beautiful 1 

James. 
I too am vastly indebted to this library. 
It was here a year ago that I first met Lucy! 
It was here two years ago I met Marlowe : 
He persuaded me to read the masters : and 
That reading gave a new meaning to life! 

Lucy. 
Dear, dear old library, how I do love it ! 
The perusal of its choicer volumes, gives me 
An almost perfect joy. Besides, as James said. 
Within these walls he and I became acquainted. 

Roger. 
Clara, what can you and I say for library. 
Well, that we have met. and exchanged words, 
With these very agreeable j^ersons! 



ClaR-\. 

That covers 
The case, regarding Mr. Marlowe and Librarian: 
But I have a presentiment, that fate brought 
IMiss Lucy, Mr. James, you and 1 together here, 
For some important purpose. 

Marlowe. 

Time will tell. 

Clara. 
We had best be going now ; we are keeping 
Mr. librarian Taft. 

Librarian. 

Not at all I assure you ! 
I generally stay awhile after the closing: 
Sometimes reading. 

Everybody. 
Good-night ! 

Librarian. 
Good-night to you all ! 

(Exeunt) 
Assistant, (approaching) 
Mr. Taft I am all thru with my work already. 

Librarian. 
Xot that only, but you've successfully done. 
Miss Barton, a woman's most difficult feat — 
Putting her hat on properly, — and are ready 
For street. 

• Assistant. 
Edward is to meet me outside 
In about five minutes. 

Librarian. 

Aha, Edward again ! 
You are deep in the delights of love's dream. 

Assistant. 
I blushingly admit it. 

Librarian. 

I was in love too. 
In my youth. Though I am an old man now, 
I can never recall those halcyon days. 
Without a feeling of sadness. 

Assistant. 

Sadness! 
Then, as you never got married, it may be 
That the affair had a sorrowful ending. 

Librarian. 
You did not put that as a question ; but 
I will tell the story, and you can judge 
For yourself. You know I have served here 
Since my youth. At first, like youngsters, 
I was happy and unhappy: I liked the work. 
But was discontented in that I bad always. 
Youth's craving to be loved. My longings, 
After weary waiting, were fully realized : 
I was pre.sented here one diay to a girl ; 
.\r\'\ fell head over heels in love with her. 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



She used often to come to the counter there, 
And we would babble long over airy trifles, 
Just to be together : sometimes she waited 
Until the close, and I walked home with her. 
Ah, I felt sure that she loved me in return ! 
One day she said, her father being obdurate, 
She had to wed the man of his choice : — and 
We parted never to meet again. It seemed 
That fate had eradicated my love-distemper, 
In order that I might persue whole-heartedly. 
The life-work it had allotted me. 



Assistant. 



You mean, 



The writing of your celebrated book? 
Librarian. 

Assistant. 
Oh tell me all about that! 

Librarian. 



Yes. 



May be waiting. 



But your Edward, 

Assistant. 
Well let him wait this once. 



Librarian. 
You know how it is with us library workers, — 
We soon have to becomie veritable encyclopadies 
Of information concerning books in general, 
Their authors and contents. 

Assistant. 

Yes indeed we do. 

Librarian. 
Well, the possession of this mental catalogue, 
Soon led me to contemplate a careful reading 
Of the books themselves, in order to ascertain 
The relative merits, of the various branches, 
Of the "Tree of Knowledge." 

Assistant. 

By various branches, 
You mean the different sections into which 
Our shelves are divided off? 

Librarian. 

Exactly so. 
As a solace for sorrow, I now plunged deeply 
Into this work. First, I read all the books 
In the section devoted to Bible and Religion : 
Then, I read section devoted to Astronomy : 
Then, Philosophy : History : Literature : Poetry : 
Fiction : Biography : Oratory : Rhetoric : Music : 
Fine Arts: Architecture: Science: Useful Arts: 
Commerce : Sociology : and Travel. As I went on 
With my laborious task, its unfolding beauties 
Engulfed my sadness, and I felt a greater joy 
Than I had ever known. At last the manuscript, 
Embodying the written result of my researches, 
Was done, and I then concluded to publish it, 
Under title of "Relative Beneficial Merits 



Of the Various Branches of Tree of Knowledge." 
The book's conclusions, were not mine alone : 
For I had read all authorities on the subject, 
And had fully incorporated, (with references) 
Their wisdoni into the text. 

Assistant. 

Everybody says. 
That your book has made quite plain, a problem 
That was before very perplexing: That of the 
Ratio of value, each to the others, of these 
Various branches of knowledge, and what each 
Has done and can do for humanity. 

Librarian. 

That's right. — 

Please go now; I would not detain you longer: 
Good-night to you ! 

Assistant. 
Goodrnight Mr. Taft ! (£.r/0 

Librarian. 
Now I will do a bit of reading; and then 
Walk leisurely home. What shall I read from? 

(Picks up hook from tabic) "Gems of Poetry:" 
This will answer. (Sits at student table near left 

wall and farther front than others) 
I owe much to this lamp : the ceiling lights 
Being too high for reading with failing sight. 

(Turns pages of the book) Ah, here is a piece 
That ought interest me : I will read it aloud. 

THOUGHTS IN A LIBRARY. 

Speak low! tread softly through these halls; 

Here Genius lives enshrined ; 

Here reign, in silent majesty. 

The monarchs of the mind. 

A mighty spirit-host they come 

From every age and clime ; 

Above the buried wrecks of years 

They breast the tide of Time. 

And in their presence-chamber here 

They hold their regal state, 

And round them throng a noble train, 

The gifted and the great. 

O child of Earth ! when round thy path 

The storms of life arise. 

And when thy brothers pass thee by 

With stem, unloving eyes, 

Here shall the poets chant for thee 

Their sweetest, loftiest lays, 

And prophets wait to guide thy steps 

In wisdom's pleasant ways. 

Come, with these God-anointed kings 

Be thou companion here ; 

And in the mighty realm of mind 

Thou shall go fortii a peer! 

That is a very fine poem! Now for another. 

(Turns the pages) Ha, "The Haunted Palace:' 
By that king of all mystics. Edgar Allan Poc. 
\\'here, in but a few wondrously beautiful lines. 
He gives a completely coniprehensive allegory. 
Of the rise and of the decline of literature. 



8 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



Though the scene of the ix)cm is in the long ago; 
II seems certain that the inferior hterature 
Of to-day. is what inspired the ]x>et's lament. 
I always loved the piece and know it by heart ! 
ITie only hope that we have at present is 
The fact that decline is followed by rise; 
I'or the dreary dark ages, at last gave way 
To a new birth in literature; which spread 
Over all Europe ; known as the Renaissance. 
Great good, soon followed ; for fine literature 
Always blazons the way for all-around progress. 
That rise was long ago: now it is declhiing:— 
For the last decade, I have noted with i)ain. 
The gradual decline in the literary tastes 
Of the general reading public. ITie persons tliat 
Take books out, and those that read them here, 
Have long been and are now picking the trivial. 
And ignoring the substantial : until to-day 
(3iir best class of books lie in their shelves 
Almost uninterruptedly, whereas the huge outinit 
Of trashy stufif fairly revels in a flood-tide 
Of popular favor. — T will silently review 
The lovely poem again, and muse upon the 
Marvelous jjicture it brings to the imagination. 
(He pores over book, until it drops from his 
hand, as he falls into a sleep: «07f a curtain 
containing a "woi'ie screen" drops do-i'n, shut- 
ting off all hilt sleeper at table.) 

TO READERS, of the play. If the reading of 
the moving-picture "dream scene" (that now fol- 
lows) prove tiresome, then merely glance o\xr it 
or skip it altogether: don't allow it to interfere 
with your enjoyment of the reading of the rest 
of the play. That which is designed to be played 
on the "screen" is none too interesting as read- 
ing matter; but it will he fascinating on the 
"screen" all right, after our geniuses in the 
"Movie" art. have boiled it down, sitniilified. and 
perfected it ; as only they can do. 

Explanatory text is thrown on screen thus : 
"He dreams a visionary reproduction of the alle- 
gory verbally pictured in the 6 verse poem he has 
been pondering over, entitled 

THE HAUNTED PALACE 
by Edgar Allan Poe. 
Fven,-thing that follows on screen, consisting of 
Poetry, Pictures, and also Text (reading matter), 
must be deemed by a stretch of the imagination, 
to be a perfect reflection of the dream, which is 
passing through the sleeper's mind." 

Text on screen fades ; new text ajjpears thus : 
HIS DREAM— VERSE I. 
"In the greenest of our valleys. 

By good angels tenanted. 
Once a fair and stately palace 

(Radiant palace) rear'd its head. 
In the monarch Thought's dominion 

It stood there ! 
Never seraph spread a pinion 

Over fabric half so fair." 



The text fades: and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — A radiant Palace, with a large sign over 
entrance, saving — 

PALACE OF KING THOUGHT 
in 
KINGDOM OF MIND. 
Palace stands amidst a green valley, which is ten- 
anted by occasionally appearing Angels. 

Scene on screen fades; new text apnears thus: 
VERSE II. 
"Banners, yellow, glorious, golden. 

On its roof did float and flow, 
(This, all this, was in the olden 

Time, long ago) ; 
And every gentle air that dallied 

In that sweet da}-. 
Along the ramparts plumed and pallid, 

A winged odor went away." 

The text fades : and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — The palace again, Init now a breeze is 
stirring the banners on roof : and a vapor issuing 
from the front audi side windows sails over the 
circular rampart (a low wall around palace some 
feet away), (iisa])])earing in the distance. From 
amidst this \a]wr a luminous explanatory text is 
flashed, saying — 

"These vapors are exhalations (or winged odors) 
arising from the carnival of "elevated thought'" 
now being held in palace: a favoring breeze wafts 
them over the rampart and away to perfume other 
climes." 

-Scene on screen fades; new tcx^ apfiears thus: 
VERSE III. 
"Wanderers in that happy valley 

Through two luminous windows saw 
.Spirits moving musically 

To a lute's well-tuned law ; 
Round about a throne, where, sitting 

(Porphvrogene !) 
In state his glory well befitting, 

The ruler of the realm was seen." 

The text fades : and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — A band of passing travellers, seeing the 
two luminous large-windows in front at left, en- 
ter gate of rampart walk tip the hill to palace, 
peer thru window-glass and see something which 
stirs them into action of delight. 

Scene on screen fades; new text appears thus: 
INSIDE THE PAI^^CE. 
The CARNivAt. of Thought. 

The text fades ; and the scene ijictured by it ap- 
pears — The splendid Throne room, with an open 
archway at rear, and a door at left : 19 male and 
female Spirits, are gracefully moving to the mu- 
sic of a lute rotmd and round a golden throne 
in centre, on which sits a majestic figure, in gor- 
geous attire, a crown on head, and on breast 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



9 



in bold type ''King Thought." Each one of the 
19 Spirits has a book large enough to cover breast 
but quite thin hanging by a chain around neck ; 
On each book in bold type is one of these var- 
ious titles: The Holy Bible, Religion, Philosophy, 
History, Astronomy, Literature. Poetry. Fiction, 
Piiography, Oratory, Rhetoric, Music, Fine Arts, 
Architecture, Science. Useful Arts, Commerce, 
Sociology, Travel. Each spirit personifies in a 
s^triking manner that branch of literature which 
its book bears the title of. These titles must be 
seen by the audience, and can be, when each spi- 
rit, in circling round, passes near the front. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 
"One age's Thought succeeds another age's, there- 
fore the present Ki,ng Thought sits "porphyro- 
gene ;" that is, ascent by merit ; not. ascent by 
blood. 

The spirits, (so called by the Poet because all fine 
thought is presumed to be inspired), who move 
round and round his throne, are his satellites (or 
subjects) : each of whom aptly personifies the un- 
iversal state, at that era, of the branch of litera- 
ture, which its book (worn on breast) Ijears the 
title of." 

Text on screen fades : new text appears thus : 
"Some additions are being made to literature; 
(Giving a hint of how books have been made). 
King Thought, arises and discourses most elo- 
quently unto his satellites : giving them many new- 
thoughts appertaining to their various branches of 
knowledge. Inspired by his words, each one writes 
a few new pages into its book ; for the benefit of 
posterity." 

The text fades ; and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — Attendants are bringing in thru door high 
tiny-desks, which they place in two lines, one on 
either side of throne, and then retire ; each of the 
19 spirits places its book on one, and opens it ; 
the king rises, and talks to them awhile, during 
which each one writes in its own book with a 
pen. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text ap|iears thus : 
The Carnival is ended. 
The Participants leave Throne R(hjm. 
Books are removed to Royal library. 

The text fades ; and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — King ends his discourse, and sits down ; 
soon afterwards the 19 spirits finish their writing, 
and close the books : King rises, and descending 
throne exits thru archway, followed by the 19 spi- 
rits: Attendants enter thru door, gather Iwoks 
from desks and take them out thru archway. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 

THE ROYAL LIBRARY. 

The Books are returxed to tiieh^ Bookcase. 



The text fades ; and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — An elegantly cosy Library, with a cur- 
tained archway at left-front, and a door at right ; 
a rare bookcase stands at rear, and a long nar- 
row table runs from right to left, with chairs 
along rear side. The attendants bring in through 
door the books, and place them in their bookcase, 
then retire through door. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text ajipears thus : 
"In the acquirement of knowledge originally, 
"thought" is a necessity: and all primary knowl- 
edge, (exL-ept that which is kept to themselves 
by its thinkers) is communicated to others, either 
by writing or by speaking. Readers and hearers, 
who get it fijcojid-hand, ofttimes think new 
things onto it ; and more books and speeches re- 
sult." 

Text on screen fades; new text appears thus: 
THOUGHTS "ECHOES." 
Lovely girls and boys aptly personify these 
"The diffusion, of any Iwok's knowledge, to parts 
of. or to the whole world, and the infinite pro- 
cess by which it is done, are vividly denoted by 
the term "its echoes:" for "echo" means "repeat." 
The new pages have no sooner been ad<led, than 
their echoes arise; (as by enchantment:) for all 
"good thoughts" generally are echoed every- 
where : and "bad ones" too. unfortunately. They 
get the books, and read the "new pages" rapidly ; 
and then, joyously singing the while, pass out of 
Palace." 

The text fades : and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — Echoes (who are girls and boys in dress- 
es that sparkle), mysteriously arise, get out the 
books. ]>lace them on table, sit down open and 
read them, and then, singing, pass out thru arch- 
way. When some rise from books, others take 
their places, and afterwards follow: so the stream 
is continuous. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text a[/pears thus : 
VERSE IV. 
".\nd all with pearl and ruby glowing 

Was the fair palace-door. 
Through which came flowing, flowing. 

And s|)arkling evermore, 
A troop of echoes, whose sweet duty 

Was but to sing. 
In voices of surpassing Ix-autw 

The wit and wisdom of tlnir king." 

The text fades: and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — The outside of palace again : The echoes, 
still singing, come streaming continuously out of 
front door, at right, and trip away in every di- 
rection. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 
"Streaming joyously out of pearl and ruby palace- 
door, the sparkling Echoes go "singing" tiirough 



10 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



the Kingdom of Mind; soon making the "new 
thoughts" known there ; and eventually every- 
where." 

Text on screen fades : new text appears thus : 
CLASSIC LITERATURE 
"The lofty cjuality, of the King's literature, may 
be well illu.strated, by enumerating the "general 
conditions" prevailing with people of most all 
countries, as a result of the j>erfume ( air-borne) 
from the many carnivals, and the entire knowl- 
edge (echo-borne) from the various books. 
These general conditions were : 
Love of God. 
Love of good. Love of country. Brotherly love. 
Love of the beautiful. Love of the true. 

Purity. Chastity. Temperance. 
Simplicity. Humility. Integrity. 

Patience. Courage. Forbearance. 
Usefulness. Picnevolcnce. Unselfishness. 
Intelligence. Refinement. Education. 
Industry. Prosperiity. Ha])]3inc:-s. 
Fidelity in marriage. Obedience in children. 
Justice — dispensed with Mercy. 

Internal Peace. National Amity." 

The text fades : and a scene appears that gives 
an object lesson of a Conununity, with such "gen- 
eral conditions" prevailing. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 
A DECADE LATER. 
The decline of Literature. 
\^ERSE V. 
"But evil things, in robes of sorrow, 

Assail'd the monarch's high estate 
(Ah! let us mourn, for never morrow 

Shall dawn u[X)n him, desolate) ; 
And round about his home the glory 

That blush'd and bloom'd 
Is but a dim-remember'd story 
Of the old time entomb'J." 

The text fades: and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — The Throne room again ; the King enters 
thru archway and ascends throne; the 19 Spirits 
each with its book on breast, then follow, make 
obesience, gather round throne and converse with 
him : a Bugler appears in archway, sounds bugle 
and retires: at motion from king the 19 Spirits 
form in double line at right : then enter thru arch- 
way 19 male and female evil Spirits, also wearing 
a book on breast, each of whom personifies in a 
striking manner that branch of pseudo-literature, 
which its book bears the title of. They make 
obesience to the king. 

Scene on screen fades : new text appears thus : 
"The Kingdom of Mind, like other kingdoms, has 
— The Bad, who seek to supplant. The Good. 
Evil Spirits, who are the leaders of The Bad, just 
entered in robes of sorrow ( which means that thev 



think thoughts which bring troubles). ILach of 
them aptly personifies the universal state, at that 
era, of the branch of pseudio-literature, which its 
book (worn on breast) bears the title of. They 
boisterously petition the king to allow them, in- 
stead of the good Spirits, to move as satellites a- 
round his throne." 

The text fades : and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — The king asks the evil Spirits, their pleas- 
ure, and in reply they present their petition, all 
discordantly speaking at once, and pointing deri- 
sively at the good .Spirits (sought to be supplant- 
ed), and admiringly at themselves. 

Scene on screen fades : new text appears thus : 
"King Thought never took to them kindly; but he 
is too high-minded to treat them with discourtesy. 
After sternly rebuking their unseemly manner, to 
get order out of chaos, he commands them to pair 
off with good Spirits, in accordance with their 
petition : in other words, each evil Spirit, to go 
stand by the side of the good Spirit, whom it seeks 
to supplant." 

The text fades and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — The king illy conceals his dislike for them. 
He rising, rebukes their lack of decorum : then 
under his speech and motion order, the evil Spir- 
its, go and pair off with good Spirits, and form 
a semicircle at rear, which takes in part of both 
sides also ; one deep, and facing throne, but each 
pair two feet apart. The king, from throne, 
scrutinizes each pair carefully, beginning at one 
end of semicircle and ending at the other. 

Scene on screen fades : new text appears thus : 
"The king's careful scrutiny of the names (titles 
on books) of each two Spirits, composing the pairs, 
showed him that : 

Greeek Mythology, desires to supplant, the Bible. 
Skepticism, desires to supplant. Religion. 
■ Sophistry, desires to supplant. Philosophy. 
The Present (Not the Past), desires to supplant, 

History. 
Ptolemaic .Astronomy, desires to supplant, Coper- 

nican Astronomy. 
Newspaper, desires to supplant. Literature. 
Doggerel, desires to supplant, Poetry. 
Trashy Novel, desires to supplant. Fiction. 
Lives of Prizefighters, desires to supplant. Biog- 
raphy. 
Bombast, desires to supplant. Oratory. 
Hyperbole, desires to supplant. Rhetoric. 
Ragtime, desires to supplant. Music. 
Caricature, desires to supplant. Fine Arts. 
Skyscraper, desires to supplant. Architecture. 
Pedantry, desires to supplant. Science. 
L^seless Arts, desires to supplant. Useful .\rts. 
Monopoly, desires to supplant. Commerce. 
Socialism, desires to supplant. Sociology. 
Bohemianism, desires to supplant, Travel." 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



11 



Text on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 
A Photograph of Each Pair. 
"The good Spirit stands at right, and the oppos- 
ing evil Spirit, at left." 

The text fades : and "close up" photos of the 
pair of opposing spirits named in first line of for- 
mer text appears, standing sidie by side ; the title 
on book identifies each one: then the pairs in the 
other lines of text, in regular order, one pair at 
a time. 

Last of photos fades : new text appears thus : 
"The King orders the Spirits to move round his 
throne, in pairs as they now are, that he may 
judge of the relative merits of the good Spirit 
and the bad Spirit that make up each pair." 

The text fades and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears—The king gives speech and motion order, 
by which the pairs fall in behind each other 
in one continuous column, and march round and 
round the throne : king views them intently. The 
book titles can be plainly seen, when in march- 
ing round, each pair passes by the front. 

Scene on screen fades : new text appears thus : 
"The King having made up his mind, stops the re- 
view, and annoimces his dlecision : saying, to the 
evil Spirits, that — The spectacle (wherein their 
hollow pretensions have been contrasted with his 
own Spirits' glories) confirms his previous belief 
that they're naught else but "wicked insiduous 
things veiled in disingenuous benevolence." 
The evil Spirits, maddened by his refusal, and its 
scathing language, angrily reply, that, they are a 
power in Alind's Kingdom : have many stanch 
partisans (ever increasing) and that their writ- 
ings are rapidly growing in "popular favor." 
They then defiantly take their leave. — The good 
Spirits, then renew their allegiance to the king." 

The text fades and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — The king gives signal and the parade 
stops, each pair of spirits pivots, and! stand fac- 
ing throne, each pair two feet apart ; king surveys 
the circle, then orders them to separate ; evil Spi- 
rits group at left, good Spirits group at right ; 
king gives decision by speech and motion ; evil 
Spirits angrily reply by same method, and mov- 
ing to archway dfefiantly exeunt. The good Spi- 
rits manifest their joy exhuberantly by voice and 
motion, and then kneel in a group to king, who 
motions them to rise ; then they fall in behind 
each other, in one continuous column which soon 
encircles the throne, around which they trip as 
in the first scene. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 
"Always from earliest times, "wheat-thoughts" 
and "weed-thoughts" have grown up together : 
and ofttimes. the former has been either griev- 
ously stunted, or entirely ruined, by the latter. 



The evil Spirits, incensed by the failure of their 
ambitious schemes, redouble their energy, and 
weed-thoughts soon spread like wildfire through 
the kingdom : finally crystallizing in a party 
known as the Bolsheviki : who, now march to the 
palace, overpower the guards, and entering Court 
demand of the King that in recognition of their 
numbers and power, he must now make the evil 
Spirits (their leaders), the sole Satellites of his 
Throne." 

The te.xt fades and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — Outside the palace again ; There comes in- 
to view a motley assemblage, of good, bad, and 
indifferent, in whose midst the evil Spirits are 
borne aloft in triumph ; they move towards pal- 
ace shouting, jeering, singing inharmoniously, 
waving arms, and banners ; but are met by the 
just gathered palace Guard, who fire in the air, 
and then offer bodily resistance, but are forced 
back and aside, and the throng enters palace. 
Scene shifts to Throne room; the throng, inef- 
fectually impeded by the Guard, enters thru arch- 
way ; the King enters thru door, and ascends 
throne, followed by the good Spirits, who group at 
left; the throng groups at front and right; king 
haughtily diemands their excuse for the outrage; 
cowed but sullen, they reply with a speech and mo- 
tion demand that the evil Spirits who represent 
their great party, be the satellites around his 
throne; that they are- fit. and the good Spirits are 
not. 

Scene on screen fades : new text appears thus : 
"The King indignantly refuses to take the evil Spir- 
its for sole satellites of his throne, as they de- 
manded. They try to sway his mind with threats 
and imprecations : but he renxains obdurate. 
Now, the Bolsheviki resort to native cunning: 
They meekly ask for the place of "secondary" in- 
stead of "sole.'' Expecting later to attain their 
ends by artifice ; yea even soon to be rid of the 
king himself. 

The king hates discord ; and from the party's 
number and attitude, he foresees it coming. Af- 
ter a painful pause, he is constrained to give a 
reluctant consent. By his order, all these Spirit 
Stars of Thought, move (to the huzzas of the ad- 
miring multitude) in conjunction around his 
throne." 

The text fades and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — King waves hand, audi tunuilt subsides ; 
then he indignantly denies their demand ; tht 
throng with speech and motion threats and anath- 
emas try to change him, but he folds hands, 
and looks at them sternly ; then they change tac- 
tics, and with cajoling speech and motion ask 
for "secondar\- to" instead of "sup])lanting" 
the others ; King estimates their number, and his 
face changes to sadness and care, he then reluc- 
tantly gives consent ; the throng responds with 



12 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



shout and handclap ; king then with speech and 
niotion order, lias the good Spirits encircle throne 
(as before), and has the bad Spirits encircle 
just outside of them, each circle facing in oppo- 
site direction ; Icing signals and the circles move 
in opposite directions round and round the throne : 
(facing one another's back, but turning to look 
at king) : as throng indulges in sinister triuini)h. 

Scene on screen fades: new text appears thus: 
"Spirits of evil are always inimical to "good" and 
are never improved by contact with it : But Spir- 
its of good can easily be containinat>'d, by con- 
tact with evil. 

The good Spirits, being the daily hearers, of the 
low thoughts, and debased concc])lions of the evil 
Spirits, soon become contaminated, and write medi- 
ocre and soulless matter in their Ijooks. Even- 
tually they write but little; and are little read. 
Forced to the background, they are finally ignored 
completely : and only appear at Court now and 
then as visitors. 

The King himself, the very fountain head of in- 
fJpiration, at last becomes nothing but an utter 
wreck of his former self. 

The evil Spirits, seize the inside, when circling 
round the throne. In discoursing, the king di- 
rects most attention to them. Their writings ex- 
pand in volume: and soon displace the others, in 
the royal library. Their "echoes"' formerly so cir- 
cumscribed, now have been borne throughout the 
world: impairing and destroying the lofty things, 
which before prevailed. 

All of this took some years : and at its end, a 
glimpse is got of the King, in a sad mood of re- 
trospect ; as he sits on throne, desolate ; compar- 
ing past glories, with present shames. The evil 
Spirits, have cast oflf dissimulation, and show 
forth them.selves — ugly and horrid. They leer and 
mock, at the King's misery." 

The text fades and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — The Throne room again ; the king sits on 
throne ; he has grown haggard and gloomy. His 
debased soul has a lucid interval, and he is com- 
paring past glories, noble associates, and services 
to humanity, with, present shames, horrid asso- 
ciates, and injuries to humanity: his i)ainful re- 
flections are accompanied by motion, and facial 
expression. The evil Spirits looking more evil 
than ever, and grown huge in size, stand in a 
group at left-front, and manifest by motion, and 
facial expression, their intense satisfaction at his 
misery. 

Scene on screen fades : new text appears thus : 

The Or.D Ti.me Entombed. 

The Gr.we where Kino Thought'.s 

former geories lie buried. 

Epitaph on tombstane. reads : 

Sacred to the memory of Classic I-iterature. 

"The grave was put in the small Churchyard, by 



one who had been close to King Thought, in the 
palmy days. 

Some newcomers into the kingdom, visit the 
churchyard, and seeing the grave, ask the sexton, 
the meaning of it. He tells them the little that is 
known of King Thought's (who lives in the state- 
ly j)alace nearby) former glories. The story of 
the past was almost forgotten, because, then, as 
now, ]ieople delighted in seeing, and hearing about 
things that were actually going on around them, 
and cared not for hearing nor reading of things, 
which having occurred in the past, could have no 
direct connection with the present." 

The text fades ; and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — A country Church, with churchyard; some 
graves in background, and in foreground one, 
whose tombstone is carved "Sacred to the mem- 
ory of Classic Literature." Some men and wo- 
men, passing by and noticing the epitaph, encjuire 
of the up-coming sexton, the meaning of it ; he 
tells a short story; and they without being inter- 
ested thank him ; all by speech and motion. Then 
they pass along. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 
VERSE VI. 
"And travellers now, within that valley, 

Through the red-litten windows see 
Wast forms that move fantastically 

To a discordant melody ; 
While, like a ghastly, rapid river. 

Through the pale door 
A hideous throng rush out forever, 
And snarl — but sing no more." 

The text fades ; and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — Outside the palace again ; a band of pass- 
ing travellers, seeing the two large-windows fn 
front at left, lit with red now, not lit as before, 
enter gate of rampart, walk up hill to palace, peer 
thru window-glass, and see something that stirs 
them into actions of terror. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 
INSIDE THE PALACE. 
The Debauch of Thought. 

The text fades ; and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — The Throne room again ; the king sits on 
throne, looking a wreck, and the evil Spirits, each 
with its book on breast, are grotesquely moving 
to discordant music, round and round him ; they 
covertly mock rather than honor him. 

Scene on screen fades ; new te.xt appears thus -. 
"Some additions are being made to pseudo-litera- 
ture. Giving a hint of how bad books have been 
made. 

King Thought, rising, delivers a wretched, low 
discourse to the evil Spirits ; but it is not bad 
enough, nor fiery enough for them, so they do as 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



13 



they have done here for years, write down their 
own thoughts, not his; and each of these malev- 
olent books, that have already done so much in- 
jury to humanity, has some new pages added to it." 

The text fades ; and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — Attendants are bringing in thru door the 
high tiny-desks, which they place as before in two 
lines, one line on either side of throne ; and then 
retire. Each of the 19 evil Spirits places its book 
on one, and opens it ; the king rises and talks to 
them awhile, during which they, by motion ana 
facial expression, jeer at his weak ideas, and 
pointing with pride to their own heads, write 
dbwn thoughts of their own. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 
The Debauch is ended. 

BfXI'KS ARE removed TO RoYAL LiBRARV, 
AND PLACED IN THEIR BOOKCASE. 

The text fades; and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears—King elids hia discourse and sits down ; 
but he is ill at ease, and rises' and exits thru arch- 
way ; the evil Spirits mock at him, then continue 
writing; after a niinute they finish and close their 
books; and leav"e in a demoniac manner through 
archway. Attendants enter through door, .gath- 
er books from desks, and take them out through 
archway. Sicene shifts to Royal library; the at- 
tendants enter thru door with the books, and place 
them in their bookcase ; then retire through door. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 
EVIL "ECHOES" 
"The new pages have no sooner been added to 
the evil books, than their echoes arise : for as 
stated before, bad thoughts are always echoed ev- 
erywhere, as well as good thoughts. They get 
the books, and read the "new pages" madly and 
wildly; and then, snarling gibbering or laughing 
the while, pass out of the Palace." 

The text fades : and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — Echoes (who are ugly girls and boys in 
dresses of lurid and ghostly hues, that are ever 
shifting), magicallv arise, get out the books, place 
them on table, sit down open and read' them, ana 
then, hideously shouting and wavnig arms, pass 
out thru archway. When some rise from books, 
others take their places, and afterwards follow : 
so the stream is continuous. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 
"Like a ghastly river, the hideous throng of Echoes 
come rushing out of the palace-door, (pearl and 
ruby door no longer, but faded and soiled now), 
and go "snarling" through the Kingdom of Mind; 
soon making the "new evil thoughts" known there ; 
and eventually everywhere." 



The te.xt fades ; and the scene pictured by it ap- 
pears — The outside of palace again : The echoes, 
still snarling and waving arms, come rushing con- 
tinuoxisly out of front door, at right, and run in 
every direction. 

Scene on screen fades ; new text appears thus : 
"Young People and Old People, who are laboring 
•under the cjeiusion, that pleasure or happiness 
can be gotten from vice, might deem these echoes 
to be alluring; but to the eye void of offence, 
they must always present a terrible and loathsome 
aspect." 

Text on screen fadep ; new text appears thus ; 
The World i.s dependent on Good Literature. 
"The \'icious quality of the evil Spirits' literature, 
n>ay be well illiU9trated by stating that it had 
wrought havoc and wreck, in the general condi- 
tions of the people of most all countries. It will 
be remembered that the most excellent of general 
conditions prevailed among people everywhere, as 
a result of the Echoes from the good Spiiits' 
books, that came to them : but now under the Echoes 
that came to them from the evil Spirits' books, 
the prevailing general conditions had changed into 
the following : 

Atheism. 
Love of evil. Treason. Brotherly hate. 
Love of the vicious. Love of the untrue. 
N'ulgarity. Unchastity. Intemperance. 
Affectation. Pride. Corruption. 

Impatiejice. Cowardice. Pugnacity, 
l^selessness. Heartlessness. Selfishness. 
Stupidity. Coarseness. Ignorance. 
Idleness. Poverty. Misery. 
Infidelity in marriage. Disobedience in children 
Injustice — dispensed with Severity. 
Internal Strife. National Warfare." 

The text fades ; and a scene appears that gives 
an object lesson of a Community, with such "gen- 
eral conditions" prevailing. 

Scene on screen fades: new text ap])ears thus: 
"The Librarian's dream of the poem's allegory of 
the rise and of the decline of literature, now com- 
plete, ends with the sleeper's last 

Reflections. 
Evil, springs up from the dregs: and its only 
pathway to power, is by the aid of the dregs. Its 
chief aim, is to assail the highest authoritv : to 
seize it for the purpose of correction, is the ex- 
cuse put forth to deceive the unwary : but evil 
strives not for correction : but usurpation. 
Shall or shall not "thought" come into its own 
again? To answer that question, wc only have 
to recall the fact, th.it, truth crushed to earth ever 
rises again," 

The text fades ; and the movie screen rises, dis- 
closing the Library as before; the sleeper, after 



14 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



moving uneasily awakens; jumps up, and stares 
with bulging eyes at the place where the movie 
screen was. 

Librarian. » 

Great heavens! where, O where, is the panorama 
That I have been witnessing! Not a thing dawns 
Upon my startled sight, but the old library. 
\\ as that nothing after all hut a mere dream ? 
Why, upon my life, the whole thing was real 
As any pageant tliat ever actually passed 
Before these very eyes. — It must be late? 

(Looks at li'atch) Ha, just as I imagined — 
I was asleep there, for quite a few minutes. 
Well, now to don hat and walk slowly home. 

(He exits thru arclnmy, and curtain droj^s) 



Xote — regarding the "recitation" of all the 



"reading matter" in the preceding Dream scene. 
The e.vplanatory "reading matter" (text) that 
appears upon the "movie" screen, alternately with 
the "pictures," throughout the entire progress of 
the "dream" scene, is necessarily quite voluminous 
and sometimes intricate, therefore it is absolutely 
indispensable, in order to assure success, that a 
skilled "reciter" should be at hand, and whenever 
any "reading matter" is on the screen, he should 
recite it from the screen, with the aid of a wand. 
to the audience. In this way, the language will 
be better apprehended, and as a resultant the 
picttures will be better understood ; making the 
full purport and scope of "the dream" much 
clearer to the audience. 

The poem, entitled, THOUGHTS IN A LI- 
BRARY ; that appears in the preceding scene, was 
written long ago by Anne C. Lynch Botta. 



ACT II 



Scene. — A Reception Room, in zvidozv Morton's 
furnished room Iluusc: nicely furnished; li'ith a 
piano at right-corner, a table Zi'ith books at cen- 
tre, a small desk at left, a sofa on either side 
at front: a door at rear, and a door at right. 
(Discovered) Mrs. Morton and her daughter 
Lucy attired for the street. 

Lucv. 

Mother, dear old Mr. Marlowe, gladly agreed 
To keep house during our absence, as usual : 
Will be in soon. 

Mrs. Morton. 

We must do errand quickly, 
For James, Clara and Roger will soon come : 
It only lacks an liour of the concert. 



Lucv. 



Wte are attired for it. 



Well, 



Mrs. Morton. 

That will save time. 

Lucy. 
I forgot to sav that Mr. Marlowe paid me 
In full. 

Mrs. Morton. 
Lucy, it would be easy to run 
Our furnished room house, if the tenants 
Paid as promptly as him. 

Lucv. 

Isn't it a shame, 
That he cannot sell his plays ! Eight years 
Writing them, he says, including 18 months 
With us : hard work too, yet he says that 
He loves it : ten plays in all ; and all sent 
To Boniface's theatre, thru these years: 



Each kept a few luonths for reading; then 
Returned: the last one came back yesterdtiy; 
With the usual stereotyped letter attached. 
Which read thus, "We appreciate the courtesy 
Which placed your manuscript at our disposal, 
.And regret that it has been found unavailable." 

Mrs. MoRTdN. 
Poor man! How did he take it? 

Lucy. 

He smiled sadly. 
And said the plays would be liked sometime. 

Mrs. Morton. 
Why can't James help him out? He is assistant 
To the play-reader: and has been there now 
Almost six months. 

Lucy. 
Are you sure it is so long? 

Mrs. Morton. 
Yes, he got the place only one week after 
You and he met Gara and Roger at library. 

Lucy. 
Six months ago. 

Mrs. Morto-n. 

Surely by now he must be 
Of some importance. 

Lucy. 

Perhaps he will plead 
With Mr. Boniface soon : whom he describes as 
A rotund good-natured gentleman. The play 
Was read some time ago by James, and passed : 
But two d'ays ago the play-reader in chief, 
Ordered him to mail it here ; having read 
And rejected it. 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



15 



Mrs. Morton. 
If James succeeds in getting 
One or more of the plays prodluced : to Clara, 
Must thanks be given ; for James owes his place 
To her. As you well know, your chance meeting 
With Clara and Roger, has already brought us 
Rich blessing! 

Lucy. 
I shall always remember that! 
Enter Marlowe, door at rear. 

Marlowe. 
At your service Mrs. Morton. 

Mrs. Morton. 

Dear Mr. Marlowe ; 
Many thanks for your kindness : — We shall not 
Be out but a half-hour. 

Mari^owe. 

Don't hurry yourselves. 

Llcv. 
If our dear friends come before we get back. 
Please deliver my message. 

Marlowe. 

I won't forget it. 
{Exeunt Mrs. Morton and Lucy, door at rear) 

Marlow E. 

They will be out some time : how shall I pass 
The interim profitably? Ah, I will do a bit 
Of play writing: I will make into a "sketch," 
The sweet little drama, that unfolded itself 
From the intercourse between Lucy and James, 
Clara and Roger ; in this same Reception Room ; 
Since their fateful meeting in the Library, 
Nearly six months ago: and which came to a 
Climax last week. 

(Sits at desk, takes out nriting utensils) 

People in general wonder how a playwright 
Ever produces plays. Why, as in all crafts. 
One's proficiency comes from long practice. 
Anyone watching me now, would get an idea 
How it is done : excepting that in this case 
I do not have the difficulty, and delight, 
0'{ creating original characters : as having 
Seen these real live characters ; and heard 
From them a complete narrative of all that 
W^as said and done; I have but to compose 
The whole into dramatic Consistency and 
Language. — Come to think, I will write it 
"In shorthand," as I always do in the case 
Of the Original crude draft of any play. — 
Now to begin manuscript, by writing down 
The piece's title : this is, 

Heart versus Intellect. (iVrites this doivn 

A sketch in one scene. as he speaks it.) 

In one scene — for we will have no drops of 
The curtain, even if the various incidfents 



To be treated of, did occur at intervals 
In last six months. — Next in order comes. 

The Cast. 
Mrs Morton, a Widow: Keeps a rooming house. 
Lucy Morton, her Daughter. {Lovers ivho are 

James Wallace, a Clerk. too intellectual) 

Clara Boniface, Lucy's Friend. {Lovers zvlw are 
Roger Sherman, a Clerk. too heart-y) 

(A'H the cast, he zvrifes doivn. while speaking) 
The action takes place in this very room: 
The Reception Room, {Writes dormi as 

Of Mrs. Morton's rooming house. he speaks) 
Now we are ready for the unfoldment of theme: 
The dramatic personae (or characters) of play, 
Opportunely appear upon stage, deliver their 
Set speeches, and eventually disappear again. 
All this is very real to the good plavwriter: — 
Why, while I am writing these things into 
My manuscripts, I always see and hear them 
(In my mind's eye and ear) as plainly as if 
The piece was really being played before me. — 
This charming task is so "congenial, that 
My whole being begins to bubble over with 
Poetic fervor! 

(His face gradually changes into a state of 
intellectual sublimity, and his form becomes im- 
bued xvith dignity and po'ver, and every glance 
a-nd movement is eloquently significant' of thai 
ivhich is passing thru his mind) 

Now I will continue the writing; and am so 
Raptly enthused, that I shall imagine I see 
The characters enter, and hear them deliver 
Their speeches, and exit. So, it will seem 
To be merely writing dbwn what the players- 
Imaginary players — are doing and saying. 
Rather than my own composing. 

{The continuation of Sketch, below — he ztrites 
on nwnuscript, and, it is played on stage — both 
in unison at the same time. This playing, which 
is presumed to be oily his imagination, is of 
course done by the real characters. He no:v 
writes standing: the manuscript lies on a tab- 
let with a handle underneath, which he grasps 
with one hand, and writes with the other. His 
attention is riirted alternately on the players, 
and on the manuscript as he zvrites: and, alzvays 
keeping near left wall, he advances and retreats, 
when they do so as to always sec their faces; 
shifting his attention to edch speaker in turn 
during speech. This giz'cs the who'e an air of 
reality. ) 

The Sketch — continuation of. 
Enter Mrs. Morton, door at right. 
Mrs. Morton. 
My Lucy is tiptoed for the coming of James. 
Poor Lucy! Poor James! They love each other. 
That's sure; but neither dares to speak it ;^ 
Their svstems are so coated over with a kind 



16 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



Of literary veneer, that ttie tender emotions, 
Newly-awakened, cannot break thru the barrier. 
Ha, ha, they were led into platonic friendship, 
(after having met a year ago), by reason of 
Their mutual taste for literature : but their 
Yet dormant hearts, soon awoke from lethargy — 
Took the bit between the teeth — and ran away 
With their placid composure. Sooner or later 
The volcano will have an eruption : and then 
This cultivated, temperate and industrious 
Young gentleman, will lead my serious-minded 
And lovable daughter to the altar. That, 
Will please me well ! 

Enter Lucy, door at right. 

Lucy. 
^lother. I wish that Clara would call. 

Mr.s. Morton. 

You 
Mean the new acciuaintance that you made at 
The library last week? 

Lucy. 

Yes, theatre-owner 
Mr. Boniface's daughter. 

Mrs. M(jrton. 

You said she offered 
To try and get James a ]ilace in the theatre. 

Lucy. 

Of her own accord yes : and to let me know 
The result. That is why I deemed it more 
Than a passing friendship. 

Mrs. Morton. 

You may be right. 
(Exit door at rear) 
(Lucy sits at piano and plays an air) 

Lucy, (rising) 
Ah, James is everything that is admirable! 

(Sadly), except — a lover. He's too intellectual. 
Perhaps, ever to become really electrified. 
By the divine spark — love. I have ever favored 
"the intellectual :" but now I begin to have 
My misgivings. One can undoubtedly become 
Too '"brainy," at the cost of grave injury 
To the other principal organ — the heart. 
Therefore "intellectual" love, is merely 
A sham transformation : and "intellectual" 
Religion, also, is merely a sham conversion : — 
In either case, the heart, is but slightly 
Affected. — He is courting me, that is certain, 
For he has pactically said so: but he pays 
His attentions with the same kind of ardbr 
That he exhibits towards unusually fine books ; 
Or towards a painting, lecture, sermon, concert. 
That we often visit together: — with no trace 
Of those many sweet tokens that a girl in love 
Hungers for: such as caresses, endearments etc. 



I am quite intellectual too, but he has stirred 
My heart; why cannot 1 stir his? It might be 
That I have; but like me, he lacks the nerve 
To show it. O, from this time on I shall tr>' 
To galvanize him into a real lover; even if 
I have to make the first advances! (Exit rear) 

Enter James, door at rear. 

James. 
Ah. Lucy is ]>erfection itself jiersonified ! 

(Sadly) except — a lover, ."^he was "intellcctuar' 
When we first met a year ago: since then she 
Has become still more so ; largely my fault : 
And too much "intellectual," I now realize, 
Makes hearts that were meant to be loving. 
Cold and calculating. Woman in particular, 
Ought to be two-sided : it is essential that. 
She cultivate the rare dowry inherited from 
Mother Eve, as well as the intellect. 
She assented to the avowal, I blurted out 
Some time ago, that — ours is a "courtship:" 
"But her attitude to me. is inncli of the mind'; 
And very little of the heart : for the latter 
Cannot function properly because the former 
Dominates her too much: — she loves me like 
She loves music, art, preaching and poetry : 
With no sign of devotion, passion and desire. 

(Sadly). Nothing to indicate that there is 
Any difference between me and a favorite book ! 
I cannot fathom, why our love has not caused 
Her heart to begin assuming its wonted nature 
The same as it has mine? Hah, perhaps it has! 
And her lack of ardor is owing to diffidence. 
I feel almost like a poltroon, for not being 
More demonstrative! But I'll make amends now: 
I will put an arm around her: (Lugubriously, 

as he sees Lucv entering door at rear). That is 
If I don't lose my courage. 

Lucy. 
Ah, YOU are here! 

James. 
Only entered a moment ago: 
I took the usual liberty of letting myself in. 

Lucv. 
It is good you did : mother went to the grocery. 
And I was upstairs lighting the hall lights. 

James. 

How could your mother run this rooming house 
Without YOLT? 

Lucy, (with intent) 
She will have to do .so SOMETIME. 

James, (eagerly) 

Lucy, you meant something about me, didHi't you. 
By that "sometime?" 

Lucy, (bashfully) 

Of course I did. 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



17 



James. 

Sweet girl ! 
Now I am going to put — put — 

(He extends his arm towards Iter waist, but 
trwdlest Lucy beiii" a novice at this sort of a 
thing, is shocked and backs aivay) 

Lucy, (shocked) 

Wliat's that you say. 

J.\MES. (guiltily) 
(IVithdraimng his arm and feeling of it) 
To put my arm in a sling. 

Lucy, (scared) 

Oh, did you hurt it ! 

James, (doivncast) 
Well — well not exactly ; but I am not able 
To use it as I would like to do. 

(He zi^inks to himself, and she comprehends: 
She begins noznj to tniss the lost embrace) 

Lucy. 

Oh pshaw ! 
James. 
Oh damn! 

( They are both vexed. She grabs a book from 
table and goes and sits on sofa at right-front; 
He docs likezoise and- sits on sofa at left-front; 
Each holds book as if readini;, and speaks, one 
at a time, as follozvs) 

Lucy, (aside) 
I knew that he meant to put his arm about 
My waist ; and it shocked me so, that I 
Backed away: why didn't he do it anyhow. 
The mean thing! 

James, (aside) 
After shyly stating, by innuendo, that we were 
To wed, why did she back away, when in excess 
Of joy, I sought to embrace her--the cruel thing! 

Lucy, (aside) 
(Her mood changing) However, this episode 
Has enlightened me : could I really endure 
To have him embrace me, or kiss me ! It is 
Heart-love that ennobles such things : mine is 
Intellectual-love. To like such endeannents, 
I would have to be revolutionized : and that 
Takes a long time; unless something occurs 
Almost miraculous. 

James, (aside) 
Yet, why do I blame her: perhaps I will have 
To do the very same thing, if she ever gets 
Demonstrative towards me : for I must admit, 
That after the impulse to embrace had passed. 
The idea of doing so became repugnant. 

Lucy, (aside) 
Though I have longed, and I guess he too has 
Longed, for more of the "sentiment of sexes," 



In our courtship : no doubt the longing was 
More imaginary than real. 

James, (aside) 
I opine, we will have to pass our weddled life 
In reading books, or patronizhig discourses 
And musicals: — love always awakens sentiment. 
Even in the hitherto calmest of hearts ; and 
It has in us : but being greenhorns we are 
Unable to apply it : To be able, would take 
A long time : otherwise some harrowing thing 
Must come into our lives, to revivify our 
Ossified hearts. 

Lucy, (ironical) 
What are you reading? 

James, (ironical) 

Something of my own 
Composition. What are vou? 



Lucy. 



Something also 



Of my own composing. 

James. 

I heard you ; but only 
Indistinctly ; being deep in my own thoughts. 

Lucy. 
Just my case regarding you. 

James. 

What's your book? 

Lucy. 
Shelly's poems. 

James. 
It's your turn to read aloud : 
Please oblige : begin where you have the book 
Opyened : let's see what chance leads you to. 

Lucy. 
Very well: here it is. (Reads, blushingly). 
Love's Philosophy. 
The fountains mingle with the river. 

And the rivers with the ocean. 
The winds of heaven mix forever 

With a sweet emotion ; 
Nothing in the world is single; 

All things by a law divine 
In one anotHer's being mingle — 
Why not I with thine? 

James, (repeats) 
Why not I with THINE! (Lucy continues) 
See the nxountains kiss high heaven, 

And the waves clasp one another ; 
No sister flower would be forgiven 

If it disdain'd its brother: 
And the sunlight clasps the earth. 

And the moonbeams kiss the sea; — 
What are all these kissings worth. 

If thou kiss not me? 



18 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



James, (repeats) 
If THOU kiss not ME! (To her, beseechingly) 

Lucy, (softly) 
Do you mean it ? 

James. 
Fervently, most fervently ! 

Lucy. 
Then we will kiss ! why should wc not, we are 
Young lovers who are to wed : besides, to have 
This aloofness continue, will cause me remorse ; 
For you sought to en^bracc me, and I demurred. 
(Lucy advances, James does like-cvise, until 
meeting they start to kiss, timidly ivithout em- 
bracing, but when lips come near together, he 
falters and backs aivay, then she backs arway 
also) 

J.\mes. (apologetic) 
Forgive me, I pray you ! 

■ Lucy. 

With all my heart! 
I was as lukewarm as you were in the attempt. 
We both deserve sympathy rather than censure: — 
The beauty of the sentiment, and the beauty 
Of the expression, in the poem, touched both 
Of us in heart and intellect— when viewed in 
The abstract : but when we sought to put them 
Into actual practice, we failed miserably! 

James. 
And all owing to our defective cultivation ! 

Lucy. 
When oh when can these faults be overcome? 

James. 
Being deep-seated, it will take long: unless 
Something unusual occurs. 

Lucy. 

That is what I say. 

James. 
No cure is probable, till some grim spectre 
Rises between us that wrings the heartstrings. 

LucY'. 
A spectre! that would be simply awful! Besides, 
It might sever us, instead of affecting a cure. 

James. 
Possibly. 

Lucy. 
Yet our attitude ought to change. 
For we are not real lovers at all : the poem 
Plainly shows that: why, the insipid ardor 
That we exhibit towards each other, is tame 
When compared with the glowing ardor described 
In the poem. 

James. 
Ours is but a mere counterfeit. 



Lucy. 

Oh my, I feel just like having a good cry! 

(She sits on sofa at right-front and sobs; lie 
goes to soothe her, standing behind sofa and 
making ineffectual lery-face efforts to put his 
hand on her head caressingly, speaking the while 
as folloii's) 

Jamf^. 
Don't go on so, dear! All may yet be sunshine. 
Something may turn up to set us right, when 
We least expect it. 

Enter Roger and Ci.ara, door at rear. 

Clara, (to others) 
I said that fate did not have us meet for 
Nothing! when we met last week in library. 

Lucy. 
Ah, Qara ! this is delightful ! You kept your 
Promise to call. And Roger, you are here too: 
This is a pleasure indeed! (All shake hands) 

Roger. 
Clara, but awaited nxy arrival at her home 
Before starting on this visit. 

Clara. 

To bring you. 
The glad tidings : Father requests Mr. James, 
To call at the Theatre to-morrow morning 
About eleven, in reference to the position 
Of assistant play-reader. 

Lucy. 

Isn't that grand ! 
Oh my dear, this is very very kind of you, 
And I thank you ever so much! 

James. 

Miss Gara, 
Allow me to supplement Lucy's hearty thanks. 
With much more of my own ! She has told me 
Of your kind proffer, and I am much elated 
Over the prospect. 

Clara. 
And I am more than elated ! 

Roger. 



Clara is all heart. 



Roger is all heart. 



Clara. 
But no intellect : — true. 

Roger. 
But no intellect : — true. 



Lucy. 
Oh, you cruelly malign yourselves. 

Roger. 



Not at all. 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



19 



Clara. 
iWell, perhaps it needs qualifying. Our hearts, 
We have cultivated ; and they are undoubtedly 
Loving and compassionate : all that's implied 
By the well known term big or kind hearted : 
But our intellects have not been cultivated : — 
And both must in unison be trained, to make 
A real man or woman. 

Roger. 

Hearts filled with ardor ; 
But, little of calm content. We are creatures 
Of the emotions: and attend those amusements 
That keep them stirred up ; and rarely those 
Which will inspire, instruct and elevate. 
The whole thing is at last palling us so, 
( Not being mixed with the intellectual ) , 
That we are turning somewhat away from 
Theatre, cabaret, movie picture, balls etc., 
To Concert, sermon, lecture and classy book: 
But are as yet unable to appreciate them. 

Cl-\ra. 
This is tattling, but I'll tell it : Since our 
Quite recent betrothal, we have been indiilging 
In spasmodic endearments of infinite variety : 
And embraces and kisses, ad nauseam. 

Roger. 

At last, 
Getting weary of it all ; satiated as it were ; 
We both reached individually the conclusion, 
That, unless emotional-love was halved with 
Intellectual-love, it would soon bum out : — 
Besides, it did not please our self-respect; 
'Nor satisfy our higher natures. 

Clara. 

Then we tried 
To practice the "intellectual :" first, unknown 
To each other; then, (after frank confidences) 
By agreement: but our defects were too great 
To be overcome so easily : — and now we are 
Awfully despondent ! 

Roger. 

Yes, almost disheartened ! 

Lucy. 
What a strange coincidence! When you entered, 
James and I were despondent and disheartened. 
Because we are "all intellect" and "no heart." 



Roger and Clara. 



You don't sav ! 



James. 
Yes : if you are too affectionate. 
We are not enough so; being practically engaged. 
(Highly cultivated minds but neglected hearts) : 
What ardor and emotion we have, is much given 
To books, music, lectures and church-services ; 
And only little bestowed on each other. Alas, 
There is a void that ought to be and must be 
Filled ! 



Lucy. 

We too have sought to amend matters : 
Working unknown to each other at first ; but 
The truth leaking out to-day, we tried it 
In conjunction: — our defects were also not 
To be so easily overcome. 

Clara. 

Hurrah, I have it! 
Why can't you and James, teach Roger and me, 
How to cultivate the "intellect :" and at 
The same time, Roger and I, will teach 
You and James, how to cultivate the "heart." 

Lucy. 
What a grand idea ! How did you ever think 
Of it? So awfully enjoyable! Let's do it. 

Roger. 
By all means ! It seems a possible way out 
Of our common dilemma. 

James. 

Anyway, all of us 
Ought to be more or less improved. 



Clara. 



Well, 



That matter is satisfactorily disposed of. 
Now, we have to go. 

Lucy. 

Oh no, not so soon ! 

Roger. 
\\'e have an engagement to-night. 

James. 

Ah indeed. 
Lucy. 
Well, come very soon again. 

Clara. 

Thank you Lucy. 
It won't be long ; for I am very impatient 
To put that "teaching" plan into practice. 

James and Roger. 
So are we. 

Lucy. 
So am I. 

Clara. 

Pardon this short call : — • 
But only canie around to tell about father. 
Don't forget Mr. James : to-morrow at eleven. 

James. 
'Yes, I will be there. Thank you very much. 

Roger and Clara. 
Good-night ! 

James and Lucy. 
Good-night ! Oh we will see you 
As far as the front-door. {Exeunt at rear) 



20 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



(Marlowe stops zcritiiuj and speaks.) 

MARI.OWE. 

That ends the action on this occasion : now 
The drop-curtain should fall : but the Sketch 
Is continuous in action : and the omission of 
The drop at the intervals, must lie obviated 
By something in the lines to denote plainly 
Tliat the action proceeds on another occasion. — 
I will resume my pleasant task. 
(The writing and playi)ui of Sketch is resumed) 

Enter James and Lie v, door at right. 

Lucy. 
Roger and Clara, are nearly due. — There goes 
The front door-bell now : that's likely them : 
Come, let's go and see. {Exeunt door at rear; and 
soon re-enter 'n'ith Rooer and Clara) 

Clara. 
Lucy, just think, only about one week since 
I paid you my first visit. 

Lucy. 

That's long enough : 
I have been hoping for you sooner. 

Clara. 

Plave you. 
And Mr. James, how do you like the position 
Of assistant play-reader? Papa informed me 
That you were engaged. 

James. 

I am delighted with it! 
And all owing to you. 

Roger. 

Clara, he can't tell yet 
How he likes it ; having only been there a week. 

Clara. 
It has been arranged, by message to and fro 
Between us, that you and James were to attend 
My father's theatre with Roger and myself : 
Are you ready? 

Lucy. 
At your service, thankfully! 
"Wfe have but to don our wraps. 

Clara. 

Wait awhile. 
You remember the "teaching" project, that 
We were all so enthusiastic about ? Let us 
Spend the few moments that are to spare, 
In having our first lesson. 

Roger and Lucy. 

Happy thought ! 
James. 
\\Tiat shall be the method of procedure? 

Clara. 

Why- 
Let me think. (Pause). Lucy, you take a book, 



And go sit with Roger on the sofa at right: 
Jhmes, you take a book, and go sit with me 
On the sofa at left. Both act natural : and 
Let us see what the circumstances develop: — 
That will do for a starter. ( They take sofas) 

Lucy. 
Now Roger, I will select some fine passages. 
Throughout my book, and we will read them, 
Without utterance, together. Some other day, 
Tliey can be interpreted : so, mark them for 
Identification. 

Clara. 
That's the idea : James, you 

Select some from your book, and we will do 

The very same. 

( They spend a feiv moments at this, during zvhich 
at times, James and Lucy's faces express joy 
at the sense of matter read, and affectionate 
Roger and Clara become demonstrative towards 
their respective partticrs, but are rebuffed «h- 
lil near the close, when each couple is sitting in 
an embrace: then each couple happening to 
glance at the other, says in unison ) 

Roger and Lucy. James and Clar.\. 

Oh look there! Oh look there! 

{Both couples rise from sofas indignantly) 

Roger and Lucy, (to others) 
It seems we are getting along pretty fast, 
For a first lesson ! 

James and Clara, (to others) 

If we keep up same pace, 
\Vliat might not occur at the second lesson ! 

Clara. 
(Regains humour) After all, it was fun! 

The Others. 

Ha, Ha! 

Clara. 
It takes bitter doses to cure : Those postures, 
Brought painfully to Roger and me, the folly 
Of being too emotional. 

Lucy. 

Yes — and those postures, 
Brought painfully to James and me, the folly 
Of being too intellectual. 

Roger. 

I understand you : 
We were only a little jealous, but you were 
Unnaturally shocked. 

James. 

Our short first lesson, 
Appears to be a big success. At the next one, 
Lucy and I will interpret to you, what was 
Just read: then more reading will be done; 
And we will interpret that also. 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



21 



Lucy. 

And we all 
Will atend musicals, church-services and 
Lectures ; and the best of what we hear there 
Shall receive interpretation. 

Roger. 

Clara and L 
Will also interpret to you, the endearments, 
That were much in evidence to-night. (Lucy and 

James suiili'.) Then still more endearing 
Will be done ; and we will interpret that too. 

Clar.'\. 
And we will attend together, the theatres, 
And movie pictures : and the best that we see 
Or hear there, shall be interpreted to you. — 
(Looks at icatcli) It is now time for theatre. 

Lucy. 
We will get ready at once. Come along please 
To next room : there is a door there also 
Leading to hall : we'll go out that way. 

{Exeunt door at right) 
Marlowe. 
iStof<s writing and sf'caks) Another interval, 
Comes here: and something must be put in the 
NexJ lines also, to denote that the action 
Proceeds on another occasion. — I will resume 
My pleasant task again. 

(The ivriting and playing of Sketch is resumed) 
Enter Mrs. Morton, door at right, with a light- 
ed lamp which she places on table. 

Mrs. Morton. 
"Drifted apart ;" that's what Lucy and James 
Have done! '"Drifted apart;" that's also what 
Clara and Roger have dbne ! And all through 
That "teaching," as they call it. The custom 
Which began some five months ago, consists of 
"readings" held here every two weeks: and of 
Visits to churches, and theatres ; but always 
All together; and of late alas, Roger escorts 
Lucy, and James escorts Clara. Drifted apart 
So far that James does not call on Lucy, nor 
Does Roger call on Clara. From observations, 
I am confident in my own mind, that each one 
Is more attached than ever to the first love ; 
But in the general estrangement, are too proud 
To make the first advances at reconciliation. 
Oh how I yeam to set things right! therefore 
I have them all here to supper, intending 
To question each one separately : I consider 
That I may be pardoned for doing so. — Roger! 
Enter Roger, door at right. 

Roger. 
EHd you call me. Mrs. Morton? 

Mrs. Morton. 

I did, Roger. 
I want to ask a question : and trust me that 
There is good reason: — Do you love my Lucy? 



Roger. 
Well— no — not exactly: I'm charmed; flattered, 
And all that : but I love Clara ; always much ; 
But now most dearly, that these our teachings 
Have cultivated my intellect ! 

Mrs. Morton. 

I have been 
Ignorant of the purpose of these teachings: 
Lucy has been shyly reserved about them: — 
But they have done you good. 

Roger. 

And more harm! 
Clara has learned to love her tutor James ! 

Mrs. Morton. 
Oh has she. (She smiles knozmngly). Roger, 
Plea* leave now: send Clara in. (Exit Roger') 

Enter Clara, door at right. 

Clara. 
You sent for nxe. 

Mrs. Morton. 
Yes Clara. I want to be 
Your confidant: for an excellent reason: — 
What are your feelings towards James? 

Clara. 

James ? 

I can scarcely tell: is it love? No indeed: 
Roger has my heart; long: and a cultured mind, 
(The result of our teachings) has enabled me 
To multiply that love a hundred fold ! 

Mrs. Morton. 

Good! 
The teaching has been a blessing to you : 
For even better than a beautiful physique. 
Is a glorious mind. 

Clara. 

Blessing, and! curse too : 
Because Lucy and Roger were obliged to be 
Much together, and he has given his heart 
To her ! 

Mrs. Morton. 
Oh has he. (She smiles knoivingly) 
That's all Qara: Send James in. (Exit Clara) 
Enter James, door at right. 

James. 
At your service. 

Mrs. Morton. 
I have a delicate question 
To ask, James : not inquisitive but corrective ; 
As you may discover later: — How do you like 
Qara? 

James. 
Clara: why I love her! 

Mrs. Morton. ( disturbed) 

Do you indeed! 



22 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



James. 

Wh)' shoiilclirt I ? Under her tutoring, my heart 
Has become cultivated: and my old calm love 
For Lucy, has been warmed, sweetened, and 
Enhanced with untold beauties never even 
Dreamt of! (Mrs. Morton's face iioxi.' beanos) 

Mrs. Morton. 
There must be a hajjpy blending 
Of heart and intellect, to make true love. 
I have often said to myself, that your heart 
And Lucy's heart must soon come to life; and 
Break down the ititellectual composure, that. 
Considering your relations was so unnatural: — 
This teaching which you four have given to 
Each other here for the past several months, 
Has been a godsendl toi you. 

James. 

Rut 'Mrs. Morton, 
It has wrung my heartstrings also! l>ecause 
Roger being obliged to be constantly in 
Her company, has won Lucy's heart away 
From me! 

Mrs. Morton. 
You don't say. (Smiles k)w':i'i)igly) 
Well, Lucy's choice, shall receive my favor. 
Go now please: and send her to me. (Exit James) 

Enter Lucv, door at right. 

Lucy. 

What is it dear niother? 

Mrs. Morton. 

My dlarling Lucy, 
To ask a question. I could always depend 
Upon your word; and answer me truthfully,. 
I implore you : — Are you or are you not 
In love with Roger? 

Lucy. 

How strange you talk : 
Why, you know that James and I are lovers. 
O. how' our teachings have made me love him! 
The intellect gives one a world-widt vision, 
The heart gives one a tenderness ocean-deep : 
My life is now made up of the two ; and dear 
James reigns supreme in it ! 

Mrs. Morton. 

My dear child! 
I have yearned for this very change in you. 
Which these teachings^ — as you call them — 
Have perfected. Once, I thought them to be 
Harmful : but they have richly blessed you. 

Lucy. 
But O the dreadful heartache, also! Yet 
Maybe it had to come: otherwise the cure. 
Would not have been so quick, or perfect : — 
Oh mother, you have seen it too — Aly James 
Loves Clara ! 



Mrs. Morton. 

The scamp! (Smiles knowingly) 
Well, I won't delay your class any longer : 
Go now and bring the others in. (Exit Lucy) 

Mrs. Morton. 

By going at it in a roundabout way, I have 
Found matters just as I thought them to be, 
And wanted them to be, — they all believe 
That their lovers are false. .Strange to say, 
That has been a great blessing : for no such 
Remarkable betterment could have occurred 
In their hearts and intellects, had not the 
Green-eyed jealousy inspired them to emulate 
The attractive qualities of their rivals. 

Exit AIrs. Morton and then re-enter James, 
Roger, Clara and Lucy, all door at right. 

Lucy. 

Clara, my dear, it is your turn to sing 
A customary opening song. 

Cl-^RA. 

I know it is, 
And will oblige. (She sits at piano and plays and 
sings "The Heart Boived Down." Each of oth- 
ers stands alone, and^ their faces grozv sad as 
song proceeds: Song noiv ends) 

Lucy. 
You must be sad at heart to select that. 

Clara. 
I am! And you all must be so too: judging 
From the melancholy looks upon your faces. 

James, Roger and Lucy. 
We are indeed ! 

James. 

Sadness of the heart ; Qara 
Interprets in song, to us who are sorrowing: 
Song — a proper medium, where the intellect 
Is but secondaiy. I deem it appropriate also 
To interpret in verse, sadness of the intellect: 
\^erse — a proper mediiun, where the heart is 
But secondarj' : — quoting Macbeth's piteous 
Appeal : slightly paraphrased. 
"Come thou now, minister to a mind diseas'd, 
Pluck from the memory a rooted: sorrow, 
Raze out the written troubles of the brain, 
And with some sweet oblivious antidote 
Cleanse the stuff'd bosom of all that grief. 
Which weighs upon the heart ! 

Roger. 
Bravo ! — Xow we have had! both phases of our 
Melanchol}- well interpreted. 

Mrs. Morton. 
(Looking in at rij^ht). Are you not going 
Right on with your teaching? 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



23 



Everybody. 
{With bored voices and looks, as tliou-gh that 
had now become distasteful) . Tlie teaching; 
Oh, what a bore! 

(Lucy takes a book and with Rockr sits on sofa 
at right: Jame.s takes a book and ivith Clara 
sits on sofa, at left. Roger and Lucy nozv read 
together, 7i'ithotil utterance, from book: during 
which they make mutual demonstrations of af- 
fection; but these are lukewarm: and Roger 
tries covertly to ivatch Clara, and Lucy tries 
covertly to watch James, on account of jealousy: 
at the same time James and Clara sitting on 
other sofa, are doing the very same, together 
and towards the other pair. They spend a min- 
ute at this, 'when Mrs. Morton, wlio had re- 
mained peeking in, enters) 

Mrs. Morton. 
I understand, you have paired off so long thus, 
In order to profit by each other's proficiency. 
You should toe, and as you say are, improved : 
To obtain still better results, (She smiles) 
Yoti should now pair differently, sometimes: 
Roger and Clara, you sit together : and you 
James and Lucy, sit together. (They all demur) 
Bad children ! do you dare disobey me : then 
I will have to use coercion. (Site transposes 

Roger over to Clara, a>id James over to Lucy: 

each couple looks sheepish) 

Mrs. Morton. 
Now you must do just the same as you have 
Been doing: Read your books together; and 
Be affectionate also. ( They all demur) Wliy 
You obstinate scholars, obey me instantly : 
Begin the reading first. (The\ do so). Now 
Some embracing. (The\ demur again). Go on, 
Do as I command you. (After funny attempts 

they finally do so). More reading, please. 
That will answer : now another embrace. Hah, 
It went easy that time ! You are apt pupils. 

James to Lucy and Roger to Clara. 
O how you have improved! 

Lucy to James and Clar.-h to Roger. 

O how you have improved ! 

Ja.mes to Lucy and Roger to Clar.-'i. 
Let's go on embracing forever! 

Lucy to James and Clar.\ to Roger. 

I don't mind! 

{blushing) 

Mrs. Morton. 
My beloved ! I am inexpressibly happy now ! 
Eh-ifted apart: but still loving each other; — 
Was the only way that I diagnosed your cases. 
To reunite you at once, was my deep longing. 
And my duty, — provided that my surmises were 
Correct. To ascertain that, I took the liberty 



Of questioning you all, separately ; revealing 
Naught to any of what another said ; and found 
From your answers — to my delight — that each 
Was more faithful than ever to the first love! 

Roger. 
Dear Madam, that is what I told you! 

Clara, J.\mes, and Lucy, (in turn) 

And I! 
( This mutual confessio)i brings an embrace) 

Mrs. Morton. 
With very happy thoughts, I looked in on you ; 
-Meditating the while how to tactfully proceed 
To reunite you : when your positions on sofas 
Gave me a hint; and I acted on it, witli thfs 
Felicitous result. 

Everybody. 

Thank you ever so much ! — 
( They rise and shake her hands gratefully) 

James. 
Clara, even if we never meant to be lovers ; 
We meant to be dear friends : and we shall be ! 

Lucy. 
The dearest of friends, Roger: for fate sent 
You and Clara here, that James and I might 
Find our hearts ! 

Roger. 
Time will cement our friendship 
Lucy ! resting as it does on a corner-stone 
Of gratitude : for you and James, have taught 
Clara and me, to expand our intellects! 



Cl.\ra. 



And. 



As friends — dear friends, we will take many 
A glorious jaunt together, through jjortions 
Of the Kingdom of Mind! (E.veunt door at right) 

Marlowe. 
{Stops writing and speaks) That little word, 
E-.x-e-u-n-t, {He spells it out,) that I just 
Wrote down, finishes my little Sketch ; with 
The lifelike mental picture going off stage 
By door at right ; as the imaginary curtain, 
Slowly falls: — A real curtain, if the thing. 
Is ever produced. — Now. I will put Sketch 
And writing utensils in the desk ; and take 
A nap in its easy chair. (He almost doses) 

Enter Mrs. Morton, Lucy, Clar.\ and Roger 
door at rear. 

Mrs. Morton. 
Almost asleeji, Mr. Marlowe. 

Marlowe. 

For the last minute, — 
I have been playwriting during the balance 
Of vour absence. 



24 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



Lucy. 
Clara and Roger arrived 
Just as we got back. 

Marlowe. 

Quite a coincidence. 

Cl~ARA. 

Ten play.s you iiave written. Dear Mr. Marlowe, 
In as many years. Lucy has let nie read some 
Typewriter copies of them: and) I don't care 
WTiat papa, or his play-reader says ; they are 
Simply grand ;— how in the world can you ever 
Think of so many beautiful and sublime things? 

Mari.owe. 
Really Miss Clara, you flatter me too much: 
Nevertheless I thank you very sincerely ! 
In reply to your question, I want to ask 
You one : how does a \oung-lady always select 
A lover? 

Clara, (blushiyig) 
Don't ask me : perhajis — for beauty. 

Marlowe. 
Exactly : and — beauty — is a comprehensive word. 
Then she learns to love him ; and the beauty, 
Expands into untold glories : much of it, real ; 
And some of it imaginary. A playwright too. 
Selects a theme — for beauty : then he learns 
To love it ; and tlie beauty becomes marvelous ! 
Much of it real: some, imaginary: the real. 
Forming the main structure of the play ; and 
The imaginary, making the "thrills." 

Cl-^RA. 

That is 
A lovely and lucid survey of the "matter:" 
Now, regarding the "manner:" that is, the 
Exquisite versification of the blank-verse? 

Marlowe. 
The Bible says: "The ear trieth words, as 
The mouth tasteth meat :" therefore words, 
Finally come to be loved for their own sake: 
And it is quite easy to cull a choice lot, 
And string them together hamioniously. 

Roger. 
How dtelightfully you have explained that too. 
Enter James, door at rear. 



James. 
Ah, everyone here, and ready for the concert. 
{He greets them all, but Lucv tenderly) 

Mrs. Morton. 
Only waiting for yon James. 

James. 

Then let's start. 

Roger. 
Yes, it is time we did. 

James. 

By the bye, Marlowe; 
I had a talk with my employer Mr. Boniface, 
About your plays : I tried hard to get him 
To produce one: he said that his play-reader 
Had turned them down : and. he generally went 
Ry his judgment: — but that you might call 
To-morrow at 3 o'clock, with all the plays, 
And' he would look at them. 

Everybody. 

Isn't that grand! 

Marlowe. 
James, I don't know how to speak my thanks ! 

Roger. 
Come along with us Marlowe. 

Everybody. 

Yes, yes, do so! 

Marlowe. 
Thank you kindly ! not now, some other time. 
Good-night to you all. 

Everybody. 

Good-bye for present. 
{Exeunt all but Marlowe, door at rear) 

Marlowe. 
I wonder if one or more of my plays is really 
Going to be produced at last ? \Vell, no matter ; 
I shall take whatever outcome with composure : 
For now in my old age, I have mounted to the 
Last of ambition's three stages : which are, 
First, the desire to make money : second, 
The craving for fame : and third and last. 
The soul-satisfying longing, to be useful 
To others. That is what I write for now. 

(Exit door at rear) 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



25 



ACT III. 



Scene I. — The Try-out Room of the Boniface The- 
atre. Being the miniature of the inside of a the- 
atre ; with a stage at rear, and priz-ate-boxes: some 
chairs for critical spectators are ranged on either 
side of room: regular entrances onto stage, and 
door at eitlier side of room. 

(Discovered) The chairs and the privatc-bo.ves all 
occupied by critical Spectators, both se.ves; Mr. 
Boniface sitting at right, nearest of all to the 
footlights of main stage : his Right-hand Man 
sits by him : a small orchestra is at the small 
stage. 

Boniface. 
(Having read a card handed to him by an At- 
tendant zt'ho entered right). Seiid him in. 

(Exit Attendant) 

Enter Marlowe, door at right. 
Marlowe. 
(To Boniface ivho advances to him). Is this 
Mr. Boniface, of the Boniface Theatre? 

Boniface. 

Yes, 
Dear Mr. Marlowe. — Let nie introduce you to 
My Right-hand man. {They bow). Have a seat. 

Marlowf.. 
Thank you. 

Boniface. 
When I told James yesterday, you 
Might call at three to-day, I had forgotten 
This affair : — being a playwright, I presume 
You know all about a "try-out?" 

Marlowe. 

Very little : 
My knowledge of the stage is limited : what 
Technique I have, was gotten from a study 
Of some of the great dramatists. 

Boniface. 

Sometimes, 
That is the best way. Well sir, a try-out is 
The way we test an actor's capabilities, 
Before engaging him. All these spectators, 
Being actors in my regular stock-company, 
Are qualified to be Critics. They listen 
To the various performers, and give them 
The hand-clap — or the hook — according as 
Their merits warrant. 

Marlowe. 

Regular vaudeville eh? 

Boniface. 
Yes, indeed. — Have you the plays? 

Marlowe. 

Yes. here. 



Boniface. 

Oh, there comes Stage-manager and a Lady : 

I will look your works over, while she is 

Doing her stunt. (He looks over plays) 

Enter on small stage a L.\dv 

and Stage-manager. 

Stage-manager. 
As you all know, these try-outs are held 
For the purpose of getting untried artists; 
When the supply of those with a reputation, 
Is inadequate. Onr miniature theatre here, 
(A recent ad'junct to the theatre itself,) 
Subjects these aspirants for fame and coin. 
To almost the strain of a real show. 

Everybody. 

Bravo ! 
Stage-manager. 
First trial is for role of "leading lady." 
We will now have a taste of her quality : 
She as Juliet ; I being her Romeo. 

Leading-lady, (farcically) 

"Tis but thy name that is my enemy: 
Thou art thyself, although a Montague. 
What's Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot. 
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part 
Belonging to a man. O! be some other name. 
What's in a name? that which we call a rose. 
By any other name would' smell as sweet ; 
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd : 
Retain that dear perfection which he owes 
Without that title — Romeo, doff thy name ; 
And for thy name, which is no part of thee, 
Take all myself!" (She throzvs herself into his 
arms, and he evades her zvith a grimace) 

St.age-manager. 
ALL yourself? I don't want any part of it! 
I hardly think you to be adapted for a 
Leading lady ; unless it be — to lead cows 
Into the pasture. (Exeu-nt St.^ge-manager and 
Lady, as the Critics laugh and jeer) 

Boniface. 
(Handing back the plays). These productions, 
Are all written in blank-verse. 

Marlowe. 

Is that an 
Unpardonable fault in a play? 

Boniface. 

The public. 
Won't stand for it. 

Marlowe. 
Blank-verse it is ; but 
Much of it is unpretentious in style ; and 
Simple in diction: — none of it however is 
In hyphenated column-prose. 



26 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



Bom FACE. 

Everybody writes 
That way: why not you? 

Marlowe. 

Because, it is not 
Dramatic: nor is it a superior way in wliich 
To clearly forcibly and eloquently express 
An idea. 

Boniface. 
Well, go on : what else can you say ? 

Marlowe. 
Whether successfully, or not : I have tried 
To make them classical. 

RiGIIT-IIAND MAN. 

What is your idea, 
Of a classic? 

Marlowe. 
Why, not necessarily a piece 
That was written by ancient Greeks or Romans ; 
Nor mod>ernly written by these old formulas ; 
Rut, any piece that is meritorious enough. 
To breast the tide of time : — not, to be played 
For a short period and then cast to the winds. 

Boniface. 
That's good : now continue. 

Marlowe. 

I flatter myself, 
That they are also well calculated to thrill 
And engross an audience : as much so as any 
Of your "best drawers:" and besides, they are 
Instructive, elevating, and point out some 
Moral lesson. 

Right-hand .man. 
Here's another trial.. 'Wb'll have to suspend 
Onr talk again until it's over. 

E)itcr hi'o Comedians and Stage-manager. 

St-^ge-manager. 
We need for road vaudeville, two high-class 
Artists — in a farcical collociuy ending with 
A song and dance — These young fellows will try 
To make good. {They perform exccHently; and 

exeunt to the plaudits of the Critics, and 

Stage-max.^ger; he then exits) 

Boniface. 
When interrupted by the stunt, I was about 
To say, Marlowe, that at present, we depend 
-More upon the accessories of the drama — 
The costumes properties scenery and lighting — 
Than upon tire drama itself. 

Marlowe. 

But my dear sir : 
The component parts of a drama, consisting 
Of the theme, fervor and beauty of lines. 
Clima.xes and catastrophes known as thrills, 
Characterizations, pathetic sentiments that 



Move the heart: these, and not these alone, 
But costumes properties and scenery also. 
Must be of an immeasurably higher order 
Of conception, in a play written in hue 
Literature, than a botch work one. 

(Some of the Critics are paying more or less 
attention to the talk going on between Marlowe, 
Boniface and Right-hand man) 

A Critic. 

Speaking, 
Of botch work : why sir, the average drama, 
Of to-day, is nothing but Naked Indecency; 
Partly concealed, (to ofifset legal protests) 
In a covering of literary gauze. 

Right-hand man. 

Moralist ! — 
You have always been looked upon as one of 
The goodly-goodies in theatrical profession. — 
Ah, it is the Primadonna's turn to try-out ! 
We will have to listen to> her cadences. 

Enter a Primadonna and S^tage-manager. 
Stage-manager. 
This lady assures me, (having no sponsors, 
I am obliged to take her own word for it) 
That she is the equal, if not superior to 
Any one of the world's famous primadonnas. 
We want a songstress that will add lustre 
To our road Opera Troupe. She will sing 
One of the popular Cavatinas. 

(The Primadonna sings an operatic selection, 
execrably and ludicrously: the Critics not zi'ish- 
ing to interrupt because of enjoyment, manifest 
their mirth by smiles and actions: St.\ge-man- 
AGER finally stops her, saying — ) 

Stage-manager. 
You are "prima" all right ; but you are 
N'ot "donna."' I mean the word — done — as the 
Italians pronounce it : you are not "done'a," 
Not well baked ! 

{Exeunt Stage-manager and Lady to jeers) 

Boniface, (laughing) 
She brings down the house ! 

Marlowe, (laughing) 

Indeed slie does! 
Boniface. 
Now to come back to the charge of indecency 
In our present day dramas. Our Playwrights, 
Do indeed write! many of that class of plays : — 
Why do we theatrical owners and managers, 
Produce them ? 

Critic. 
For the very simple reason that 
You don't know any better. 

Boniface. 

Ah! — Mr. Marlowe, 
I hope that you db not consider us to be 
The numbskulls, that his rejoinder denotes 
Bv inference. 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



27 



Marlowe. 
I must confess I once labored 
Under that fallacy : but was undeceived by 
Reading in the library, a numljer of books 
Written by our theatre owners and managers : 
Which not only gave proof of business acumen ; 
But proof of fine literary attainments and 
Mental capacity : alive still, though warped 
By present conditions. 

Boniface. 
I thank you on behalf 
Of all theatre owners and managers ! Please 
Let me follow with a few words in our favor. 
Materialism, has infected and paralyzed. 
All branches of thought : and Commercialism, 
Has infected and distorted, all branches 
Of action. The heart, is with its treasure, 
And this is Mammon ; the intellect, instead 
Of being cultivated, is dcgrndcd : why then 
Should not the theatre goers, share in the 
Universal contamination ; and become what 
They now are — largely made up of vulgarians : 
Who know little of art or literature ; and 
Care for nothing but the gratification of 
Their tawdry tastes, and animal appetites. 
Any spectators at theatres, who are keenly 
C)bservant of the faces and manners of the 
Audiences, cannot fail to see that there 
Are many of this class. That sirs is why 
We all produce these shady plays. 

Critic. 

By your 
O'wn words, you stand accused ! You are aware 
Tliat a large majority of theatre-goers are 
Degenerates, yet you pander to their vices: 
When you ought, at the risk of fortune, yea, 
Life itself, endeavor to regenerate them. 
By staging plays that are adapted to that 
Purpose. 

Boniface. 
More of this afterwards : I want to know what 
Declamatory power, this actor has. 

Enter a Star-actor and Stage-manager. 

Stage-manager. 
Our "substitute" Star, is ailing: and as 
An emergency may arise, we cannot afford 
To be withouj one. This Gentleman applies 
For the place ; bringing high encomiums. 
He will give us two famous soliloquies 
On "discontent:" each, one viewing it in 
A different aspect. To be discontented. 
Is to be out of harmony with surroundings, 
Or to be unthankful for blessings. 
The first one, is that of Brand : the titular 
Character in Ibsen's great play. 

The Star. 
"Ah life! ah life! Why art thou then 
So passing sweet to mortal men ? 
In every weakling's estimation 



His own life does as grossly weigh 

As if the load of man's salvation 

Upon his puny shoulders lay. 

For every burden he's prepared, 

God help us, — so his life be spared! — 

Two thoughts in boyhood broke upon me, 

And spasms of laughter in me woke, 

And irom our ancient school-dame won me 

Many a just and bitter stroke. 

An Owl I fancied, scared by night ; 

A Fish that had the water-fright; 

I sought to banish them; — in vain, 

They clung like leeches to my brain. 

Whence rose that laughter in my mind? 

Ah, from the gulf, dimly divined. 

Between the living world we see 

And the world as it ought to be, 

Between enduring what we. must, 

And murmuring, it is unjust ! 

Ah, whole or sickly, great or small. 

Such owls, such fishes, are we all. 

Born to be tenants of the deep. 

Born to be exiles from the sun, 

This, even this, docs us ai)pall ; 

We dash against the beetling steep. 

Our starry-vaulted home we shun, 

And crying to heaven, bootless pray 

For air and the glad flames of day!' 

(This is grandly done, and evokes applause) 

Stage-manager. 
The last one is that of Hamlet. 
The Star. 
"To be, or not to be ; that is the question : — ■ 
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind, to suffer 
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune ; 
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles. 
And by opposing end them ? — To die, — to sleep, — 
No more ; — and, by a sleep, to say we end 
The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks 
That flesh is heir to, — 'tis a consummation 
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die ; — to sleep ; — 
To sleep ! perchance to dream :-ay, there's the rub : 
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come. 
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil. 
Must give us pause. There's the respect 
That makes calamity of so long life: 
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time. 
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely. 
The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay, 
The insolence of office, and the spurns 
That patient merit of the unworthy takes, 
When he him,self might his quietus make 
With a bare bodkin ? who would fardels bear. 
To grunt and sweat under a weary life. 
But that the dread of something after death, — 
The undiscover'd country, from whose bourn 
No traveller returns, — puzzles the will. 
And makes us rather hear those ills we have. 
Than fly to others that we know not of?" 

( The Star does this i;raHdly also;' and exits to 
the plaudits of the Critics and Stage-manager; 
he then exits) 



28 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



Right-hand man. 
He's a hummer, eh, Mr. Boniface. 

Boniface. 

Yes indeed: — 
A reminder of Booth, Keene, and the other 
Great ones. 

Maruhve. 
The demon "discontait" exists 
Mostly, it is thought, in minds that are 
Improperly developed, or not developed 
At all. 

Boniface. 
Now, to reply to the goody-goody — 
As my right-hand man has called him — and 
Properly so; for he more than any others 
Of this assemhlage of actors, criticizes 
The try-out i^erformers on moral grounds : — 
He scathingly charges me with panderhig 
To the low tastes of the masses ; hut he 
Well knows, (as member of my stock company) 
That large nunibers of the public, want plays 
Which make them, worse — not better; and that 
Were I not to please them, my daily patrons 
^\'buId consist of but a corporal's guard. 

Critic. 

Then, 
You had better close up. But I'm quite sure 
That the public in general are not beyond 
The chance of reformation : they would soon 
Begin to enthuse over a clean, classy play ! 

Boniface. 
I have v'^ry grave doubts about it. 

Marlx>we. 

Have you 
Ever really tried them? 

Boniface. 

Not of late years : 
Not since Shakespeare, and other literature 
Of a high order, spelt ruin. 

Marlowe. 

Try, try, again sir! 
The decline was gradual, so will be the rise. 
I have often purposed, even at great sacrifice 
To myself, to endeavor to make the theatre 
More moral. Now that I have an easy chance 
To plead with you, one of its large pillars. 
It would be dastardly not to do so. 

Boniface. 

Marlowe, 
Your dreams are eutopian, I fear ; but go on. 

Marijiwe. 
The Theatre's (like the Church's) mission. 
Is to help bring the kingdom of God on earth : 
And it mu.st live up truly to that mission ! 
It has its particular province ; va.st in area : 
Which is, "to hold the mirror up to nature:" 



To show virtue, its image;. and encourage it: 
To show vice, its image ; andl terrify it. 
If as at present, the false mirror flatters, 
Vice is made to look alluring — not hideous. 
And virtue is made to look distasteful — not 
Glorious. 

Boniface. 
Your words are very impressive, — 
I'nt they fade away in the glamour of beauty: 
Oh my, those girls would tempt an anchorite ! 
Enter seven Young Women, attired in diaphanous 
gauze dresses ivith short skirts, ivho Hue up in 
a rozv of six, the scinith in front: Stage-man- 
ager enters alsa. 

Stage-manager. 
This Soloist and Chorus, are said to be 
14 carat solid gold. If they try-out so, 
We may add them to the road comic-opera. 
They wind up singing, with an airy dance. 

Right-hand man. 
I'll engage them: they have the profession's 
Most valuable asset — large and shapely calves ! 
( They sing a solo and chorus, divinely ; then 
dance in a sensuous and mazy manner; and 
exeunt to a storm of applause) 

Stage- m a n ager. 
That ends to-day's try-outs. (Exeunt Everybody 
at either side; except Boniface and Marlowe) 

Boniface. 
Now Marlowe, a last word about your plays. 

Marlowe. 
It is a salesman's duty, to fully describe 
His wares: extol their merits, and magnify 
The purchaser's possible profit, as highly 
As the facts in the case w^arrant: — I think 
That I have done so. 

Boniface. 

You have presented them 
In glowing colors ! and I am certain that 
They are as good, if not better than your 
Presentment. I like you ! and I know that 
I should like your plays; but the public 
Positively would not : and despite criticism, 
I will please them: — I regret exceedingly 
That they are unavailable. 

Marlowe. 

I thank you, sir! — 
(They ivalk toivards door). Dear Mr. Boniface, 
I entreat you — irrespective of my own plays, 
I entreat you to seriously ponder over this 
Discussion between the three of us to-day. 
You are a niagnate, in the Theatrical World : 
You have power to be a public benefactor; 
A blessing to struggling humanity. You can, 
You will, be a pioneer, in an eventually 
Tremendous movement, that will never cease 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



29 



Until the masses, the j>eopIe hi gfeneral, 
Are brought to become participants in the 
Limitless blessings and treasures of the 
Kingdom of Mind ! 

Boniface. 

I would like to adopt 
Your well meant scheme, Marlowe ; but look 
Upon it as visionary and impracticable : 
And so will have to emphatically decline. 
With thanks. (Exeunt) 



Scene II. — .1 I'acant Room, in wiiLra' Morton's 
furnished room House. The room is full width- 
of stage, but not deep: and Z'acant except a sofa, 
standing at ric/lit, in jronl : a door at ritjlit , and 
left. 

(Discovered) Mrs. Morton, Lucv, J.ames, Clara 
and Roger. 

Mrs. Morton. 

There goes the front-door bell, Lucy. 

Lucy. 

Yes dear. 

Roger. 
Maybe it is Mr. Taft, the librarian. I spoke 
To hinv to-day of Mr. Marlowe's illness ; and 
He intendls to call after he closes. 

Clara. 

I told 
Miss Barton, his assistant, also: she said 
That as her Edward was to call for her, 
They woulci come around together. 

James. 

And it 
Is now past nine. 

Mrs. Morton. 

Mr. Marlowe, has taken 
As much of a fancy to these fond lovers. 
As he has to Clara and Roger, or James 
And Lucy. 

Re-enter Lurv, door at right, unth Mr. Taft, 
Miss Barton and Edward. 

Lucy. 

Let me announce. Miss Ada Barton, Mr. Taft, 
And Mr. Edward Clyde. ( laughs. ) I said that 
Just for fun ; as all of you have met here 
More than once: Edward and Ada call often. 
But Mr. Taft only rarely, I regret to say. 

Mr. Taft. 
How is dear old Mr. Marlowe? 

Edward and .Ada. 

Yes, how is he ? 

Mrs. Morton. 
He has taken a turn for the worse : and we 
Just telephoned for the doctor. 



Mr. Taft. 

What ails him? 
James. 
The doctor says he has a heart disorder ; 
Which is of recent origin, but is growing 
Rapidly. 

Lucy. 
And complications incidental to 
Moderate old-age. 

Clara. 

Do you think that worry, 
Over his fruitless interview with father, 
At theatre, had anything to do with it ? 

Mrs. Morton. 
Well, that was two months ago ; and since. 
Me has been in his usual good-spirits : Init 
.Some few persons learn to smile even while 
They are being stricken. 

Lucy. 
(To Mr. Taft, Edward and 7\da) 
The doctor wants 
U^s to be with him at times : but to leave 
When he shows signs of weariness. Maybe 
It will not be good for you to go in yet: 
I will see. (Exit at left) 

Mrs. Morton. 

This big room, 
We are cleaning ; and the furniture is out 
In the hall. It was vacated four days ago, 
The clay before he took sick. His hall-room 
Adjoins it ; so we opened the door between, 
Ajid brought him onto the sofa there ; which 
Had been brought back. This has been done 
Several times. 

Lucy, (re— enters) 
He was a bit delirious- 
Talking ramblingly ; but it subsided ; and 
He expressed a wish to come in here. 

James. 

Then 
Let's bring him by all means : come Roger. 

(Exeunt James, Roger ami Mrs. Morton, left) 

Edw.\rd. 
How do you keep watch on him ; you being 
On the floor below ? 

Lucy. 

Oh we run up often : 
And Roger and Clara help in the evenings : — 
We had just been in when you came. 

Ada. 

Maybe 
The hospital would be the better place. 

Lucy. 
The doctor says, he is contented with us, 
And that is a big factor in his case: but , 



30 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



That he may have to send him there later. 
Re-enter Mrs. Morton, J.\mes and Roger, sup- 
porting Maru>we jw ; attired in a robe ; they lay 
him on sofa, and put a coverlet over. 

Mari.owe. 
Ah, Mr Taft, you here; this is indeed joy! 

Mr. Taet. 
Yes, dear friend ! Roger told me you were ill : 
So, after library hours, I hurried around. 
You are better, I ho{x.'? 

Marlowe. 

I too — hope — I am ; 
But am not certain. — ^Dear Ada and Edward ! 
You have come also. Now I have my dearies. 
All with me. Each couple lake hold of hands. 
And let me see how pretty you mate together. 

Ada. 
Edward is awful bashful, dear Mr. Marlowe; 
But I guess he will do it to please you. 

Edward. 
Indeed I will, — even that. 

James, Roger, Lucy and Clara. 
And so will we. 
(Each pair of lovers blushingly join hands) 

Marlowe. 
What a lovely sight! Three pair of lovers; 
With faces transfigured by delight : and 
Possessing that which gives to every one 
The magic power of living life's every day 
In a world of enchantment — youth ! 
When I think of my own youth, the diapason 
Of joy, is tinged with sadness ! Besides my 
Other delights, I loved : yes, crusty old 
Bachelor that I ani now, I did not escape 
Sweet love's infection: — (sadly) but it 
Never came to aught. 

Taft. 
Let me, another crusty 
Old bachelor with an episode similar to 
Your own, say that you do not exaggerate 
The glory of youth ! 

Marlowe. 

A verse of Goethe's Faust ; 
Which tho partly more applicable to his own 
Poetical life, yet gives a lovely picture 
Of youth: and the yearning with which it is 
Universally looked back upon : — I quote it. 
"Then give me back that time of pleasure. 
While yet in joyous growth I sang. — 
iWlien like a fount, the crowding measures 
Uninterrupted gushed and sprang! 
Then bright mist veiled the worfd before me, 
In opening Inids a marvel woke. 
As I the thousand blossoms broke. 
Which every valley richly bore me ! 



I nothing had, and yet enough for youth — 
Joy in illusion, ardent thirst for Truth. 
Give, unrestrained, the old emotion. 
The bliss that touched the verge of pain, 
The strength of Hate, Love's deep devotion, — 
O, give me back my youth again !" 

Everybody. 
Bravo! bravo! — 

Cl.\ra. 
Why you spoke that as perfect, 
As (joethe himself would, were he alive ! 

Taft. 
Because, Marlowe too, js a poet ; and has 
The "deeper conception." Shakespeare spoke 
His own lines, better than anybody else, 
Because he had a poet's deeper conception. 

Marlowe. 
I met, Lucy and James — then Clara and Roger — • 
Then Ada and Edward — and how you have twined 
About my heartstrings ! What bliss it has been 
To think of sharing with all of you, and my 
Two grandnieces, the vast fortune that I 
Eelt must inevitably result from my plays : 
Not for money's sake ; but as a love token, 
As huge in measure as is the love. — These 
Have proved to be nothing but "pipe dreams ;" 
And the same will no doubt result in future: 
Then, what use to leave a will, for an estate 
That has no present or prospective value ; 
The surrogate would deem it preposterous. 
If the improbable occurs after I am gone, 
And profits accrue — not being relatives 
You could not inherit without a will. But 
You shall get something dearies ; not much, 
But all that I have to bestow : dying I 
'W'ill leave to you, and living I will give 
To you— my richest blessings! 

Mrs. Morton. 
See, he closes his eyes as if in weariness : 
Let's leave him alone awhile. We can spend 
The time in his room : closing door between. 

(Exeunt door at left) 

Marlowe. 
It was not weariness, as she said, that 
Made me close my eyes, but that awful pain 
About my heart : far worse even than what 
I j.ust had in my room. Can it be that 
I am going to die? Ah no, I want to live, 
Until my plays are sold. Who will buy them? 
Boniface would not: nor would he listen 
To my beseechings for theatrical reform. — 
Is it ambition or altruism, that makes me 
Want to sell my plays? Well, as I am human. 
Something of the former, no doubt ; but more 
Of the latter by far : for now in my age, 
I have an intense yearning, that the world 
Shall have become a little better for that 
I have been living in it. (Sits up on sofa) 
Looking back thru the history of all ages. 
We read of men, who, thru love of kiicwlelge. 
And the hope of elevating humanity, pursued 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



31 



A persistent course of study, and became the 
World's preeminent "thinkers" in the various 
Branches of knowledge. This great learning, 
Conveyed to others by tongue — pen — deeds. 
Has been of untold blessing to human race. 
I see a vision, of them — each one in his 
Own era, and all animated by the hope 
Of ascending so high in literary altitude, 
That frail humanity could look up to them, 
As they do to the stars, for inspiration — - 
Hah, I see them now plainly, mounting up 
The very pinnacle of fame! 

( The rear wall fades aivay magically, disclosing 
a — Pinnaale — as high as flies, of white marble 
and adorned zvilh flowers; there are Niches on 
it each capable of holding a statue : during the 
acting, zvhcn the row of tiiches, one aboi'C the 
other, that faces front, all become occupied, 
the pinnacle revolves until the next rotv faces 
front, and so on continuously. The pinnacle 
is presumed to be only his vision, therefor the 
acting of it must be in strict accord with his 
long speech, beloiv: this speech also makes clear 
to the audience anything in the pinnacle scene 
that otherwise might be ambiguous. The pin- 
nacle climbers, enter and climb, one at a time: 
he rises noiv, and standing speaks zvhilc look- 
ing alternately at the climber, and towards the 
audience, the follozving long speech, in a clear, 
but ecstatic-delirious manner) 

First, I see Moses — who largely wrote first 
Five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch — 
After sufferings and setbacks, he attains 
A lofty niche ! — Next comes Martin Luther — 
Who did so much for Religion — he reaches 
A niche but little lower! — Next Aristotle — 
Who laid the corner stone of Philosophy ! — 
Next, Herodotus — the "Father of History" ! — 
Next, Galileo — the bright particular star 
Of Astronomy !• — Next, Demosthenes — who led 
The way to moving eloquence in Oratory ! — 
Next, Macaulay — whose thought and polish. 
Added new beauties to Literature ! — Next, 
Cicero — whose skillful manner of coupling 
Words harmoniously together, gave proof 
Of the mighty possibilities of Rhetoric ! — 
Next, an Unknown — who is not famous because 
Of cowardice — he climbs a short distance. 
But growing timid, drops back again to 
The "mediocre" ! — Next is Michael Angelo — 
Who combined grandeur beauty and symmetry. 
In Architecture ! He was a man of action — 
But great study was back of that action. 
Next, Mozart, opera composer — who gave 
To music still more charms "to soothe the 
Savage breast" ! — Next is Raphael^whose 
EHvine painting, has been an inspiration 
To all workers in the Fine Arts ! — Next, 
Christopher Columbus — who discovered a 
New Continent ; which, besides its other 
Blessings, greatly expanded that branch 
Of learning called Travel! — Next, Boswell, 



The biographer — who wrote the celebrated 
Biography of Dr. Samuel Johnson ; which gave 
New vigor to that somewhat lifeless branch, 
Of the tree of knowledge ! — Next is Darwin, 
The scientist — who eloquently demonstrated 
That scientific research, is not a waste 
Of time, as popularly supposed, but lovable 
Profitable and fascinating; resulting in 
The masses becoming interested in Science ! — 
Next comes an Egotist — who coveted fame, 
For pomposity and pelf! — he gets a niche; 
But becoming dizzy with pride, topples to 
The ground ! — Next, A. T. Stewart, America's 
Commercial magnate — whose very expansive 
Enterprise, and strict business probity. 
Resulted in better thinking, with regard 
To the branch known as Commerce ! — Next is 
Chas. Dickens, the incomparable story-teller, 
In Novel form — who made the scope of Fiction, 
Not merely, to amuse ; but to acquaint readers 
With the ordniary everyday affairs of those 
'Whose lives are humble, and destiny obscure'! — 
Next, Leo Tolstoi — who by pen word and deed, 
Has made more Christ-like, the Sociology, 
Of the world ! — Next comes Thomas A. Edison, 
The great inventor — who invented marvels, 
Along the line of the necessaries of life: 
Most of which are invaluable contributions, 
To the myriad number of everyday things, 
That are commonly bunched together under 
The title of the Useful Arts! — ^Now, not in 
Chronological order, but according to fame. 
Last — but not least — comes the divine bard, 
William Shakespeare — who through the medium 
Of his verse, has inspired the whole world. 
To loftier thoughts, and nobler endeavors : 
And also has been a never failing source. 
Of instruction — and amusement. The branch, 
Which is designated by the name of Poetry, 
Has born golden and luscious fruit, under 
The husbandry of himself and other poets. 
This great genius — who is best described by 
A metaphor composed by himself, "His fame folds 
In this orb o' the earth"— has now attained 
The very apex, and stands there upon it ! 
A fitting top-piece to the splendid spire! — 
These great men, representing as they do 
All the branches of knowledge, have now all 
Gained their niches in the ever glorious 
Pinnacle of Fame ! And soon there gather 
Around them, multitudes of enthusiastic 
Admirers, and devoted followers: — who. 
Flocking around the pinnacle, shout out 
Their ho.sannas ! (.-is he speaks last line a 

cro-wd enters and shouts out hosannas) 
And there are some vacant niches, yet left 
In the Pinnacle of Fame : waiting for those 
Who are sagacious enough to heed the lines 
Of Longfellow. 

"Lives of great men all remind us 
We can make our lives sublime. 

And', departing, leave behind us 
Footprints on the sands of time!" 



32 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



(Tlw people rcnezi> their shouts to pinnacle, 
during which the rear wall reappears, and shuts 
it out : Marlowe, thru zvith his task, staggers 
and falls dozvn, and lies a mcmetit , then re-enter 
Everybody from room) 

Mrs. Morton. 
What ! lying or. floor ! 

James. 

The deir old man! 
Roger and 1 will tenderly place him back 
Oil the sofa. 

Taft. 
Had you not best phone for 
The doctor again? 

Lucy. 
I will do so at once : — 
Ah, here he comes now. 

Enter the Doctor, right. 

Doctor. 
How is the patient? 

Mrs. Morton. 

We left him alone, 
A quarter hour ago, because he was weary : 
On our return, he was lying on the floor, 
Quite insensible. 

(Doctor examines him and administers tonic) 

Doctor. 

He still shows symptoms 
Of delirium : which must have been acute : 
It has left him only semiconscious, and 
\'ery weak. The cordial I just gave him, 
Will revive him. See, his eyes open now. 

Marlowe. 
Ah, approaching death, makes anyone see 
Their duty, clearly ! for I am now able 
To arrive at a sure conclusion, regarding 
A thing which I have been in doubt about : — 
Mr. Taft, dear old friend ! when I am gone, 
You must attend to this vital matter ; which 
Is this: I left a — a — (He is unable to speak any- 
more, but tries frantically to make knmvn the 
rest, by facial expression and movement of the 
hands, aftenvards pointini; towards another part 
of City : then he falls back unconscious) 

Taft. 
What he wanted to tell me, must have been 
\'ery important : I shall always feel sorry. 
If it should so turn out that lie carries 
The secret to the grave ! 

Doctor. 

(Having examined.) Heart action is failing: 
His condition is serious. The bed inside. 
Is the better place for him now: — We will 
Remove him ; as gently as possible. Lucy, 
Can remain to aid me : but nobody else. 

(Marlowe is borne itito his room, the Doctor 

and Lucy remaining zi'ilh him) 



Ada. 
O, I do hope he will get well ! 

Everybody. 

Yes, indeed ! 
Enter Boniface, right. 
Clara. 
Why. dear jiapa, you here! 

Boniface. 

Yes, my dear Oara. 
Clara. 
Father, this is Mrs. Morton: this is Mr. Taft: 
This, Edward, and Ada: you already know 
James and Roger. (They exchange courtesies) 

BoNIF.'VCE. 

You all seem almost like old friends ; for 
Clara has well described you. and descanted 
On your graces. 

Mrs. Morton. 

Dear Mr. Boniface, you are 
Clara's father : besides you are known to 
All of us by reputation : we are delighted 
To meet you. 

Boniface. 
How is our friend Mr. Marlowe? 

Mrs. Morton. 
He has taken a turn for the worse : he lies 
In the next room ; and the doctor is there. 

Boniface. 
Sorry to hear that. James told me, to-day. 
That he was ailing: so I concluded to come 
And cheer him up, with a bit of "good news." 

Taft. 
Good news, is always helpful to the sick. 

Boniface. 
Several weeks ago, I had a talk with him 
At my theatre, regarding the production 
Of !iis plays: maybe you know of it. 

Everybody. 

Wle (\o. 

Boniface. 
To my regret, I had to decline : which he 
Took in good part : but then began to plead 
With me, (irrespective of his own interests) 
For the dear old stage ! that I love so much ! 
That I would help to make it true to its 
Truest self: to make it every way worthy 
Of the exalted place it has in the world : 
To make it, in short, not a debaser — but 
A regenerator of mankind ! — is that clear ? 

Everybody. 
Perfectly so. 

Boniface. 
I pooh-poohed, his fine plea: 
But nevertheless it stung my conscience, and 
Disturbed my self-complacency, very much. 
I comforted mvself with the assurance 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



33 



That I would) forget it all after he left ; 
But I did not : his words must have fallen 
Upon my mind's good soil : and must needs 
Spring up and grow ; in spite of my efforts 
To crush them : — and they have kept growing, 
Until now I am determined, to disregard 
All selfishly personal aims, and devote 
My life, to the betterment of the stage! 

Taft. 
Marlowe, has often talked to me along 
Those lines, so I can imagine his delight. 
When you tell him of your noble intention : — 
Unfortunately, he is too sick to hear it 
Just now. 

Boniface. 
Sick. — I am reminded that the sick 
Do not always get well. By the bye, has he 
Any relatives? 

James. 
Yes, two young grandnieces: 
Who live in Albany. They called here once. 
We notified them yesterday. 

BoNIF.\CE. 

Pardon, query, — 
I asked to find out how, in the event 
Of his demise, his plays could be either 
Bought outright, or hired for a term on a 
Royalty basis. 

Edward. 
Your query was very natural. 

Boniface. 
The estate would go to the heirs at law. 
The grandnieces: and would' be administered 
By the Public Administrator: on account of 
Having no value : and a would be purchaser 
Could without delay, buy or hire the plays 
From him. 

Roger. 
Undoubtedly so. Sir. 

Taft. 

Mr. Boniface, 
I see that you have ignored, there being 
"A last will and testamient :'' rightly so. 
For he as much as said here awhile ago, 
That there was none. 

Boniface. 
I felt there was not. 
If there proves to be one, and it apf>oints 
No Executor, then even in that case also. 
The public administrator vv^ould administer: 
If it does appoint an Executor, then the 
Buying, or the hiring of the plays, could 
Be almost immediately done with him. 

Ada. 
Sir, you have expounded all of that law, 
So clearly, that I ani sure ev^n we girls 
l^nderstand it. 



Boniface. 
Thank you for the compliment. — 
Now a last query : I have always taken it 
For granted, that the plays were copyrighted; 
1 loes anyone know ? 

James. 
Yes, everyone of them, — 
He has the Certificates of Coi^yright, there 
In his room. 

Boniface. 
My searching out the matter, 
In such dry detail, was not by any means 
Mere inquisitiveness. I had but told you. 
The introductory part of my good news. 
When the thought suddenly occurred that 
The best part of my pet project miglit be 
Disrupted by his death : that there might not 
Be anyone who could convey to a purchaser, 
A good title to copyrighted work. Having 
Happily disposed of that bugaboo, I will 
Finish my story. Marlowe informed me that 
His plays were fine : and I saw plainly that 
They were. (I only rejected them because 
At that time I was simply looking for 
Big money-makers). Why shouldn't anything 
Be fine that springs from love ! Dear Marlowe 
Sought to elevate the theatre because he 
I.x)ve(I it. Then, these plays behig available. 
Probably more so than any in the market. 
What can be more proper and appropriate. 
In this campaign for theatrical reform. 
Than tiiat the man who first inspired me 
With the lofty purpose, should be the one 
To furnish the literature with which to set 
The ball a'rolling. 

Clara. 
Father dear, your last words, are capable 
Of but one construction ; yet that would be 
Too good to be tnie : please tell us what 
"S'oii DO mean ? 

Boniface. 
Why my dear, exactly what you 
Thought that I meant : I am going to produce 
Mr. Marlowe's plays. 

Everybody. 

O, O, isn't tiiat grand! 
Taft. 
Mr. Boniface, this is a truly noble act. 
On your part ! and I thank you most deeply 
On behalf of Mr. Marlowe; and of myself! 

Everybody. 
O, it will make dear Mr. Marlowe, so happy! 
Dear Mr. Boniface, we thank you sincerely! 

James. 
Why he had practically given u]) all hope 
Of ever having them produced. 

Taft. 

He spoke 
Awhile ago, of how he had fondly dreamt 



34 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



Of sharing the revenues, between these 
6 Young people, ( Lucy being with him now ) , 
And his two grandnieces : then he alkidcd 
To the fact that a Will would be essential, 
As the six were not relatives : adding sadly, 
But no use to have a will, as the estate 
Has no present or prospective value: — 
All this shows how hopeless he was. 

I'ONIFACK. 

Sharing, 
His profits around, eli : — so the whole-souled 
'Fellow was already formulating plans that 
Would carry out his generous impulses. — 
It would indeed be a shame now, if the 
young people are cut off altogether from 
Their share of the probable large-iirofits, 
Bv his failure to get well enough to make 
a' will ! 

Mrs. Morton. 
It would be very sad, Mr. Boniface; 
But I won"t fret about that, for he is going 
To get well! To get well, so as to not only 
Be amply remunerated for his toil: but also 
To know that it has not been a life-work 



Wasted; that it is going to be appreciated 
By the public, and that it is going to do 
Much good. — He has told me what a struggle 
The writing of these plays was — a daily one 
For years : all spent in constant alternation 
Of soaring in spirit up to the heavens, and 
Sinking down to the depths: — quoting ])oetry, 
He said that it was a bliss that touched 
The verge of pain ! Poor too : very hard work 
To pay his way ; and to pay for the printing 
Of a few duplicate copies of his writings. 
Brim-full of joyous anticipation, when he 
Sent a new play to Mr. Boniface: followed 
By utter despair, when it came back again. 
All these things have left their deep lines 
Upon his face: but this will all fade away 
In the gladness, of the full realization 
Of his fondest dreams! 

Re-enter Lucy, weefnng; followed by Doctor. 

Doctor. 

Mr. Marlowe is dead! 



Everybody, (mrrcnlly) 



Dead!- 



(Curtain) 



ACT IV 



Scene. — The Official Private Chamber, of the 
Blbi.ic Administr,\t()r of New York City: 
a handsome room of rosewood finish: Rotvs of 
chairs on either sidf and a large writing table 
at centre, of the same wood: a door at rear, 
and at left. 

Enter Edna, Josephine, and Hardart {'who is fine 
looking, but haughty, cynical and unfeeling), 
door at left. 

Edna. 

Uncle Hardart, the officer outside would not 
At first let us come in. 



The citation. 



Hardart. 

Not until I showed 

Josephine. 
Edna, what's that? 



Edna. 

The paper. 
That uncle took from his pocket, I suppose. 

Hardart. 
Exactly, — and that was a notice that I got. 
To be here in this the Public Administrator's 
Private room, (which adjoins the main ofTice), 
At ten o'clock this morning. 

Edna. 

What for, uncle ? 

Hardart. 
On business, — as I told you when we started : — 
Don't Ije so inquisitive. 



Josephine. 

Inquisitive, — oh my 
That is a BIG word : what in the world does 
It mean? 

Hardart. 

Why, siicakingly prying and nosing 
Into matters that are none of one's business. 
You Edna, and you Josephine, had to be here: — 
But you must keep quiet; and don't dare ask 
Questions : for you are of no more importance 
Than knots on a log. 

Josephine. 

Ha, ha, knots on a log: 
Is not that very very funny! 

Edna. 

Yes, indeed ! 

Josephine. 
I'm hungry. 

Edna. 
.•\re you Josephine? well there is 
A lunch counter outside; if uncle will let 
Us go and get some cake? 

Hardart. 

Yes go, — I am glad 
To get rid of you. (Exeunt Edna and Josephine) 
These Kids, (the devil take them,) do not 
Know as yet that they are rich heiresses, 
To their granduncle Marlowe's vast fortune; 
Which nnishroom like almost grew up over 
Night : and the less that they learn of it. 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



35 



The better I shall like it. The old beggar, 
Did not have a shoestring when he died ; 
It is during the past year since his death, 
That his numerous dramas, have brought in. 
As if by magic, these vast sums of money. 
It lacks but ten minutes of ten, — at ten 
This vast fortune will be given to me. 
Their Guardian, by Public Administrator, 
To keep for them until they become of age : — 
But they shall never get a penny of it ; 
For to forfeit my bond is easy, as it 
Was fixed at a ridiculously low amount. 
But now a grim spectre of thought, rises : 
How about it, when I am brought to the bar. 
To answer for the stolen money? What then? 
Pshaw, any cunning guardian or executor, 
Who defaults, can easily make it appear, 
That the missing trust funds, were eaten 
Up naturally.— ESy Jove, I begin to feel, 
The same as Josephine laconically e.xprest 
Herself as feeling, "I'm hungry:" therefore 
The guardian will join his ,young wards at 
The lunch counter. (Exit door at left) 

Enter Boniface, Mrs. Morton, James, Lucy, 
Roger, Clara, Edward and Ada, door at left. 

James. 
Mrs. Morton, that was a good idea of yours. 
Of our meeting at your home, and coming 
All together: there would surely have been 
Some laggards, if we had conic individually. 

Mrs. Morton. 
Mr. Taft, provided he can leave the library. 
Will make our number complete. 

Edward. 

Mr. Boniface, 
Kindly explain more fully, the reason for 
Our being here, when we have no money coming? 

Boniface. 
The Public Administrator, deemed it prudent to 
Have all the known friends of Mr. Marlowe here : 
I gave him your names, and he issued a citation. 
Stating that the Estate of Mr. William Marlowe, 
Would be distributed to his heirs, to-day 
At ten o'clock, in his official private room; 
And requesting your presence. 

Ada. 

'\\1ell, I am sure 
We are delighted at the good luck that brings 
Us here; for it enables us to show our love. 
To the dear departed ! 

Everybody. 

Dear, kind, Mr. Marlowe! 

Roger and Clara. 
Whom we all devotedly loved, while living! 

James and Lucy. 
And whom we all lovingly revere, being dead ! 

Mrs. Morton. 
His estate, — how strange that sounds, when 
But one year ago, he died leaving nothing. 



Boniface. 
Yes, and a big one too; I don't know just 
How big. 

James. 
It all goes to his two grandnieces; 
Whom we all met at the funeral. They seemed 
To be sweet girls. 

Everybody. 
Sweet indeed ! 

Clara. 

Young, too. 
Mrs. Morton. 
Yes, far too young to have lost both parents: 
At that time, Edna told me she was eleven, 
And Josephine ten. 

Roger. 
It will be nice to meet 
Them again ; no doubt they will also be glad 
To have us here. 

Boniface. 

They will be. naturally, — 
But Josiah Hardart, will be mad. 

Lucy. 

Who is he? 
Boniface. 
Their uncle: (he is not related to Marlowe;) 
Who, upon his own application was appointed 
Guardian to them, as soon as the property 
Showed signs of being valuable". He will have 
The custody and guard of everything, until 
The girls attain majority. 

Mrs. Morton. 

That reminds me, 
That when they called upon Lucy and nie, 
Several weeks ago, they said that after 
Their uncle, (they didn't mention his name,) 
Was made guardian, he had forbidden ^hem 
To have any communication whatever with 
Either of us, or our friends'. They thought 
This was because, that after their visit 
When Marlowe was living, they had told him 
Of how Marlowe had spoken of leaving money. 
To three pair of young lovers. But that they 
Couldn't keep away, when a lady brought^ them 
On a trip to City. 

Boniface. 

This throws a side light 
On Mr. Hardart : but he is shown fully by 
The epithets which the Public Administrator 
Applied, in speaking of him to me ; selfish, 
Suspicious, stingy, avaricious. 

Everybody. 

You don't say! 
Edward. 
By that "three pair of lovers" dear Marlowe 
Meant James and Lucy, Roger and Clara, and 
Ada and me. 

Roger. 
Noble man ! he was almost always 
Thinking of us, 



36 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



Ada. 
Oh, I wish he could only 
Have lived to have seen our "triple wedding:"' 
It was only seven months after his death. 

James. 
Yes, as (five months ago) we stood there in 
Three couples: just as he loved to see us: 
While three Pastors performed the services 
Simultaneously. Our beloved would have seen. 
In that si)ectacle, his fondest hopes realized : 
And it would also have appealed to his love 
Of the beautiful. 

Clara. 
To have three marriages, 
.^t the very same time and place, is surely 
Well calculated to create a furore of talk : 
But we did not do it to be sensational. 

Lucy. 
We did it, because we knew perfectly well 
That dear Marlowe would have loved to have 
It so. 

Mrs. Morton. 
That was well understood at the time. 

Boniface. 
Speaking of your marriages, let me say this: 
You know that I love Clara and Roger ! but 
I.ucy and James here, and Ada and Edward, 
Have become dear to me too! And 1 would 
Like to be patron and backer to you all; 
For married life brings financial needs: 
But the much that I could have done once. 
Is now less than nothing: — I am a bankrupt. 

Jamp:s, Lrcv. Edwarii, Ada, and Roger. 
O. we thank you ever so much Mr. Boniface ! 

Boniface. 
Then, here is Mrs. Morton; almost in want! 
Because of her fire loss, without insurance. 
Of course you young people see her through : 
But you have as much as you can do, to keep 
Yourselves afloat ! 

Mrs. Morton. 
Don't give way to despair. 

Boniface. 
These sad conditions bring a thought to mind. 
Which I ought not speak of else : Is it ^not 
A shame, a monstrous shame, that at such a 
Critical juncture, when the need of money 
Is so vital, that great wealth, wealth which 
Marlowe fully intended you all to share in, 
Is now and here going entirely to others. 

Lucy. 
Quite naturally, we regret it : but we also 
Bear in mind that his generous intentions 
Towards us, were gratuitous ; we had no claim 
Upon him : — but you, you brought out the plays ; 
And should be the one to profit by them ; but 
You have lost all. You deserve and have, 
Our heartfelt sympathy! 



Boniface. 

I would sacrifice it 
Twice over again for the same noble object ! 
That was not money lost: it blazed the way 
To materially ])urify the dear old stage! 
Why, when I read in the morning papers, 
Of the unbounded poi)ularity of the plays; 
And also that the critics si)eak of them 
As marvelously thrilling elevating and 
Educational ; I am filled with enthusiasm 
To think of the mental and the moral uplift. 
That the masses have got, and will yet get. 
From a something which I pioneered : and I 
Fervently bless the dear departed man, who 
Was the cause of my doing it ; and furnished 
The matter with which it was done ! 



Everybody. 



Good ! good ! 



Ja.mes. 
Incidentally it has come to us, because of 
Our reading all news items about the plays, 
That the theatre owners have made fortunes 
Out of them: therefore, it is cloudy to us. 
Despite your exi)lanation at the time, why 
You are the exception. 

Everybody. 

It puzzles us greatly. 

Boniface. 

.Ah, then I will repeat what I told you then: 
After hiring on a royalty basis, three ])lays. 
From the Public .Administrator, I staged them 
In a sumptuous manner in New York, Chicago 
And Philadelphia. The public did not take 
To them, and they ran to empty houses. 
\''ast additional sums spent on advertising, 
Availed not, and at the end of two months. 
To avoid making an assignment, I sold out : 
The purchaser liquidated my debts, but I 
Got no money. Having some faith still in 
The plays, I had it stipulated that they 
Were to be kept on stage two months longer : 
.At the end of which time they were playing 
To crowded houses: and now after one year 
Has elapsed since the initial production. 
It is a matter of publicity, that all of 
The ten plavs are being played throughout 
The land : first, running on royalty basis. 
But recently all sold outright : bringing in 
I'nlimited funds to dear Marlowe's estate. 

Everybody. 

^^'e understand it now. 

Edward. 

Your loss was not 
Incongruous : but a \'ery natural beginning 
To the magical process, which has raised, 
(As by the stroke of an enchanter's wand,) 
A great treasure! 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



37 



Clara. 
And look ; there now come, 
The grandnieces, dear Edna and Josephine, 
Who inherit all the treasure. 

Boniface. 

Followed hy 
Their uncle and guardian, Mr. Josiah Hardtirt. 
Re-enter Edna, Josephine and Hardart, door 
at left. 

Edna and Josephine. 
(Starting; fonvurd. but held back by Ilardart) 
Oh, isn't that just too lovely for anything! 
( >ur dear friends are all here! 

EvRRVnoDY. 

Yes. all here. 
Dear Edna and Joseijhine ; and all delighted 
To see you again ! 

Edna and Josepiiine. 

We do so want an embrace! 
Please let go of us, uncle Ilardart. 

(They break loose from his detain:ii;i hold) 

Hardart. 
(Follm^'ing). Come back here! come right hack, 
I say. or I will punish you severely ! 

Ed-\.\ and Josephine. 
Dear Lucy, iClara. and Ada! {They embrace litem : 
but are torn away, by tlie on-coming Hardart) 

Hardart. 
I sternly charged you to have nothing whatever 
To do witli these designing peojile : they are 
Merely mercenary: and make tlieir livelihood, 
Piy tricker}-, cajolery and undue influence, 
Upon the weak-minded, and the aged. They 
Tried their arts upon your old granduncle, 
William Marlowe ; and came mightv near getting 
.\ large slice of his money. 

Boniface. 

Josiah Hardart, 
If you value a whole hide, be more choice 
In the use of your epithets! 

Hardart. 

Your threats, 
Shall not deter me from finishing my speech. 
Having failed to get the monev thru him. 
All of you are trying to curry favor with 
His heirs — these verdant young girls: hoping 
To wheedle large amounts out of them : but 
I as their guardian, will have possession 
Of everything until they come of legal age. 
Many years away, and I will see to it that 
Not one of you gets a dime : no. not a cent ! 

Boniface. 
Cowardly slanderer! you have had full say. 
And now you shall receive full payment ! 

(He starts ani^rily to':t'ards hint, but is reslriiinril 

bv James and Kocer) 



James and Roger. 
Do not trouble yourself with that suspicious. 
And miserly fellow. 

Boniface. 

( Strugglinij ) . 1 .et go I 

Mks. Morton. 
Hush! someboily comes. 

lloNIFACl',. 

The Public Administrator. 
(BoMFACE at mice beccnies circuinsf>ect) 
linter Pcmic .Admi.nistratoU, door at rear: 
he bows lo all: if is returned , then he sits down 
at table. 

PiriLIC .Vd.MI NISTRATOU. 

Ladies and Centlemen. As you arc vicll aware, 
1, the Public .Administrator of this Cih', 
Cited you, as being known intimate friends. 
Of the late William. Marlowe, to be jirescnt. 
And See, the lawful and formal turning over, 
( )f all sums of money that have been realized 
l'"rom his entire estate, to his h.eirs at law. 
Misses Edna and Josephine Cummins, through 
Their lawful Ciuardian, Mr. Josiah Hardart. 
As the citation stated, the mere fact of 
Your seeing the distribution, without any 
nhjections. will certify that you have none 
To offer. I thank you all for your presence ! 
Xow, my dear Miss Edna and Jose|)hine Cummins: 
Let me narrate to you a truthful fairy story. 
"N'our beloved granduncle. Mi'. \Villiam Marlowe; 
Died poor and unknown : but since that time. 
The ten stage plays which he wrote. ha\'ing 
TVeen acted, and having become very p<i[nilar, 
t!a\o brought in a large amount of nir.nc\' : 
And you being his grandnicces, and only 
.Surviving blood relatives, arc .going now 
To get all his monev. 

Josephine. 

Oh isn't that glorious! 
Edna. 
Dear. kind. love!\- old granduncle! 

Tosephine. 

ALL of it. 
You said, — but don't these six young people, 
Oct anything? 

Pl'BLIC .AdMINISTRATiiR. 

No. not a dollar. 

Edna. 

That's strange ! 
Why, he loved them! ;md said, if his iilays 
Made money, they would share: calling them 
His three pair of lo\'crs. 

Lucy. 

E.diia, lovers yet, 
1 hope, and something more: we were all wed. 
Some months a"o. 



38 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



Edna. 
Isn't that perfectly grand ! 

Joseph INK. 
Xo wonder you all look so happy ! 

Edna. 

Married folks. 
Can not jxjssibly get along without money — 

JOSKPIUNE. 

So, 

^\'b will share ours with you. 

Edna. 

That is my idea. 
Lucy. 
Oh we must decline, with many thanks! 

Edna and Josephine. 

No, no! 

Public Administrator. 
That proffer shows sweet in you my children, 
But it cannot be done ; not at least until 
You become twenty one years old : before that, 
Uncle Ilardart, your guardian, has the sole 
Keeping of the money. 

Edna and Josephine. 

Then uncle can do it 
For us. 

Hardart. (angrily) 

Uncle will do nothing of the kind! 
Public Administrator. 
It would be unlawful for him to give away 
Any money on your order, being under age. 
Positively, you will have to give up for 
Many years to come thjs idea of sharing 
Your fortune with them. 

Josephine. 

Isn't it a shame ! 
Tlien we beseech you to let them, in some 
Other way, come into their own ! 

Edna. 

Granduncle 
Wouldn't rest easy in his grave, if he knew 
That his plays had made big money, but that 
His beloved friends had received no benefit 
From it whatever ! 

Public Administrator. 

It is sad ; but there is 
No lawful way to carry out his wishes in 
This respect ; they being his friends only, 
And he dying intestate. 

Josephine. 

That is a BIG word ; 
What does it mean? 

Public Administrator. 

Without writing down how 
Ilis money was to go: what is called a wll. 



Edna. 
How do we get it then? 

Public Administrator. 

You get it by law ; 
As his own kin. 

Edna. 
Oh why wasn't there a will ! 

Public Administr.\tor. 
Probably because there was no use of giving, 
Where there was nothing to give. 

Edna and Josephine. 

That is true. 

Public Administrator. 
Now, Mr. Hardart ; I deem it to be within 
My province, to offer a word of admonition 
To you. Having been appointed guardian to 
These minors, expressly to hold their money 
Until they attain majority: (respectably 
Maintaining them meanwhile) : you will sir, 
On pain of prison ])enalty, and forfeiture 
r)f your bond, scruinilously guard it, and 
Preserve it, andi pay it all over to them, 
Share and share alike, as each one in turn 
Becomes of age. 

Hardart. ( haughtily ) 

I understand' my own business. 
Public Administrator. 
Don't show disrespect here ! It is possible, 
You understand your own business too well : 
Therefore I shall keep an eye on you. — 
Before turning over the money, I will give 
To you, and the Lady and Gentleman witnesses, 
A slight review of the estate's affairs : with / 

Whicli you are all more or less familiar. 
The decedent, Mr. William Marlowe, left behind 
No assets at all, except some printed matter ; 
Not nearly as bulky as a copy of Shakespeare; 
Which appeared to be absolutely valueless : — 
This was ten dramas ; all duly copyrighted ; 
Of which he was the author. To my surprise, 
Mr. Boniface, (who deserves unstinted praise) 
Soon hired the acting-rights of three plays ; 
For a term, on a royalty basis. That act. 
Was the start of what, froni failure first, 
Has culniinatedl in the production and run, 
For the past several months, of the whole 
Of the ten ]i!ays, in as many cities: and 
Has brought in to the estate, in royalties. 
The huge sum of two hundred thousand dollars. 

Everybody. 
Huge sum, indeed! much larger than we thought! 

Hardart. (gloating) 
Larger than I thought ! 

Edna and Josephine. 

It took our breath away ! 

Public Administrator. 
A week ago. fortunately, I was able to sell. 
The entire right title and interest in the 



KINGDOM OF MIND. 



39 



'hole lot, to a theatrical Syndicate : which 
nabled me to close up, within year allotted 
")r administration, estate's entire affairs 
' to-day's distribution : then file account 
ith the Surrogate, and he duly discharged, 
.le estate realized by the sale of Plays, 
ne immense sum of one million dollars. 

Everybody. 
,minense, indeed! far more than we thought! 

Hardart. {gloali)ig) 
Far more than I thought ! 

Edna and Josephine, 

My, it made us dizzy! 

Public Administrator. 
There were no liabilities at all : not even 
'Funeral expenses,' for all you dear people 
Had gladly chipped in — out of love for him — 
To pay them. — Now to turn over the treasure ! 
Here is a guardian's receipt, for the sum ; 
After deducting my lawful fees, and other 
Legitimate expenses : which reads as follows : 
I, Josiah Hardart, guardian for Misses Edna 
and Josephine Cummins, inheritors by law, 
of the estate of VVIilliam Marlowe, deceased, 
have received from the Public Administrator, 
the sum of One million two hundred and six 
thousand four hundred and eighty dollars, 
in full of all claims against said estate. 
This, Mr. Hardart, vou can sign, on rcceijit 
Of the money. Here is a certified check on 
The National City Bank, for tlie full amount : 
Take it. 

Enter Taft, door at left. 

Taft. 
{Swinging a paper in Itami). A will! a will! 
Mr. Marlowe left a will ! 

Everybody. 

What ! he left a will ! 

Public Administrator. 
{Withdraws check, which Hardart had grasped) 
This is startling intelligence! {Takes ivill) 
Are you sure ? Have you examined it ? 

Taft. ..j 

Not fully; 
Only the signing. 

Hardart. (agitated) 

An absurdly damnable fake ! 

Public Administrator. 
-e, sir! (To Taft) Where was it found? 

Taft. 
ibrary drawer. With my thoughts full 
^rlowe on account of this meeting here, 
lenly occurred to me as I was leaving 
le used to call it 'his drawer,' and, 
I by a strange impulse. I searched it. 
"an imagine my amazement, when at last 



I saw those words on the big envelope there, 
"Last will and testament of William Marlowe', 
Staring me in the face. It was not sealed ; 
And not intending to bring it haphazard, 
I read the preamble and execution ; finding 
Tiiat it was what it purported to be. 

Public Ad.ministrator. 

A marvel ! 
But why didn't he speak about it? 

Taft. 

He did, 
Chi his deathbed. At that sad occasion he 
Frantically tried to finish in dumb show, 
A speech beginning thus : I left a — a — 

Everybody. 
Those were his exact wortls. 

Taft. 

After this find. 
We can piece it out thus : I left a will, 
In my drawer in the library : turn it over 
To the proper authorities. 

Public Administrator. 

A right solution. — 
Taft. 
But he said only a few minutes before this, 
That there was no use of his leaving a will: 
We now know that he meant that he would not 
Reveal the existence of the one; which, from 
The way things turned out, was looked upon 
As nonsensical, and therefore hidden away. 

Public Administr,\tor. 
( Reads will) Mr. Marlowe, in this his will. 
Bequeathes to his Grandnieces, and to you 
Ladies and Gentlemen, mentioning each one 
By full name, the sum of thirty thousand 
Dollars apiece. 

Hard.\rt. (furiously) 
The deuce he did ! 

Public Administr.xtor. 

Silence ! — 
So Mrs. Morton. Mr. Taft, Lucy, Clara, Ada, 
James, Roger, and Edward, you are not here. 
As it turns out, merely as idle spectators, 
But each one of you is the happy inheritor 
Of the snug sum of thirty thousand dollars. 

Edna and Josephine. 
(Running over and aiibrac-u:/ them) We knew. 
Dear granduncle couldn't have forgotten you ! 

Everybody. 
Did you dearies? O, the dear, the generous. 
The noble gentleman ! 

Edna and Josephine. 

We are very very glad ! 
You are all rich now. 

Everybody. 

Yes. we are all rich, — 
An inexpressibly hapjjy ! 

( The ?i youiii/ iiiarrird mu/^les enil^race fondly) 



40 



KINGDtlM I IF MIND. 



I'ciiLlC AdMIxVISTRATOK. 

Vou all look it! — Xow to resume the reading. 
-All the balance, after the payment of your 
Several legacies, is left for the founding 
( )f an Institution, whose purpose will he 
To helj) both influentially and financially, 
Struggling and unknown writers. Mr. Uoniface, 
Is its perpetual Trustee: at a salary of 
l-'ifteen thousand dollars annually. And he 
Also has charge of the grandnieccs' money. 
I'ntil they attain majority. — 

Boniface. 
He was a nobler man than even we thought! 
Wliy, there is over nine hundred thousand 
Dollars with which to foiuid it. 

1 I.\KI)ART. 

Damnation — 
My grandnieces get hut a paltry sum indeed. 
And I don't even have the handling of that : 
1 say that this will was forged! A base plot. 
Concocted by these people ! 

I'fniJC .\d.M 1 N ISTK.XTI IE. 

On the contrarw 
The will is bona fide in every ))articiUar! 
I shall at once hand it to the Surrogate, 
Who will soon probate it; and Mr. Boniface 
Can immediately carry out its provisions. 

Hakdart. 
To the devil with the lot of you! And as for 
You two kids; stubborn and intractible kids; 
You can now go over to the tender mercies 
Of these nine persons; each one of whom has. 
By wheedling your granduncle, stolen a slice 
Of the money rightfully yours; leaving yoti 
But a niggardly allowance; you have sided 
\\'ith them always; go to them; (Shoves them) 
I wash my hands of you forever! (Exit, left) 

Edna and Josephine. 
(Sobbing). Oh don't leave us so, dear uncle! 
.My, where will we go now! 

3 Young Married Couples. 

Don't cry dearies, — 
We would all like to have you live with us! 
Will you come? 

Edna and Josephine. 

Yes, — it will be delightful ! 

Clara. 
Being three couples, with three homes, you 
Will have to live with each of us in turn. 

Josephine. 
Oh it will just tickle me to death ! 

Edna. 

Me too! 

RncFR. 

By the bye James, that night in front of 
The library, when we first l>ecame_friends, 
I sarcastically asked you, what rewards 
Ever came to bookworms? now if I had not 



Been converted long since, Marlowe's '.tie 
Would have condemned me; for he w •. on 
And the rewards that came to him froir n, 
Have richly Ijlessed u.s^iU ! O' that he niijiit 
Have lived to ha\e soniie benefit from 
This money himself. 

James. 
I too wish he might h.i\ 
Tint you know, and we know that he h-.ms^lf 
Had a greater reward than moneys can ?ive:— • 
First a settler, and for a long time now 
A permanent dw'eller in the Kingdom -jf Mni' 
I Ic found a bliss in its unsearchable riches, 
Which was far more than ample compensation 
I'or the labor he hacj to do there ! 

Bon I PACE. 

Thcii tOf 
He yearningly longed to have the mass^ts, 
The people in general, enter and ever ilwf'! 
Within its magical portals ! That such \va.' 
His hobby was manifest from what he 'said 
To me at my theatre that day. 

Public .Administrator. 

.\nd the ma -■ 
ARE entering now, (as a result of his ori. 
In the Kingdom— his ten ])lays). The i>ap» : ; 
AH report that there is a general (Jtesire 
To let go of shallow anch frivolous thii ^s, 
And devote far nifire time to cultivation 
Of the intellect. The masses arc both shrev\il 
And smart ; and jiossess much natural ability 
.And will cease to use that ability, men iy 
For delia'^emcnt. if some one starts them 
To thinking; — and' Marlowe's plays did it. 

Mrs. Morton. 
As one ] apcr puts it; Theatre-goers no\ w .n 
To see plays which satisfy the soul; an i n "i 
Those which nTerel_\- gratify the senses! 

Tai't. 
Further proof of this universal elevation 
Of the masses, is found in the fact that 
In the libraries, there is a great increase 
In the demand for the best class of books. 
And also that there are many new faces. 

Boniface. 

'Now we will go ; but before leaving, we dc 
To ex-press to you sir. our heartfelt th. nk 
For your kindness and courtesy ! 

EVERVBODY. 

Thanl- vou, 
Public .\d.m i n istrator. 
And I flesire to express to you all my \vari 
.Appreciation of your [presence here; and 
.Strict attention to the proceedings ! — 
Now. the FINALE; All Hail, to William Mraway! 
America's Playwright ! ! ! 

EvER^•BnDV. 

.All Hail!!! (£.v 



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